Duty
by KayBayBay
Summary: What would happen if Tony enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves seven years ago, and was needed for active duty in Afghanistan? He would need to leave the entire team behind, including Ziva. AU, rated T as a precaution. Eventual TIVA.
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

**I'm back (: This is my second story, following **_**Casual**_**. It isn't related to this one at all, but you should still read it if you have time. I'm about halfway through this right now. I know exactly what is going to happen, I'm just having a hard time writing it the way I want it. Maybe posting this and reading your awesome reviews will inspire me to write amazing-ness (: **

**This takes place sometime in Season Six, before "Aliyah." Just a warning, this is AU, and I feel it's slightly OOC also. If it's too out of character, let me know and I'll fix it up. Enjoy, and happy reading (: **

_**Duty**_

**Chapter One - Introduction**

_RING. RING. RING._

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was awoken at 0600 on a Monday morning to the obnoxious ringing of his phone. He looked at the phone and saw it was a number he didn't recognize, so he ignored it.

Tony was upset that he had been interrupted from his peaceful sleep. He was yet again dreaming about his partner, Mossad Officer Ziva David. This time, Ziva had picked the lock of his apartment and snuck in without him knowing. When he arrived home she was cooking a wonderful Italian dinner for him. To make it even better, she was wearing a short, white silk robe with red high heels. After they were through eating, she untied the robe she had been wearing, revealing a lacy red lingerie set. She had just confessed how she loved him so much, and wanted him, and only him. He was about to kiss her when the phone had rang.

Tony knew he shouldn't be thinking about his partner that way, but he couldn't help himself. Every time he thought of Ziva, his thoughts automatically went to her beautiful, thick, dark hair and long, lean legs. He would try to shake those thoughts away, but would then become distracted by thoughts of her dark chocolate eyes and warm smile, which he wished he had the privilege of seeing more. Most of the time, he would start day dreaming at work, until Gibbs head slapped him out of it.

He was immersed in thoughts of Ziva when his phone started ringing again. Seeing as it was the same number as before, he figured it was pretty important, so he should answer it.

"DiNozzo," he answered grumpily.

"Hello is this Anthony DiNozzo?" asked the man on the other end of the phone. He had a deep, rough voice and Tony guessed he was in his late thirties or early forties. The voice sounded familiar to Tony, but he couldn't remember where from.

"Yes, this is him," Tony replied.

"This is Sergeant Brad Cooper, from the United States Marine Corps Reserve. I have on record that you enlisted for the Reserve seven years ago, is that correct?" asked Sergeant Cooper.

When Tony heard Sergeant Cooper's name, he immediately knew what the call was about. Seven years ago, before joining NCIS, Tony had a hard time finding work, so he enlisted in the Reserve. He completed all of his training, and found work right after training with NCIS. He became an Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR, meaning he could still be called back in case of an emergency or war. He hoped this call was to inform him that his term was over in a year. "Yes sir, I did."

"How much do you know about the situation in Afghanistan, Marine?"

Tony immediately tensed up and got nervous. "Not much sir, only that the United States is currently fighting a tough war there." In truth, the only thing he knew about the war in Afghanistan was what was on the ZNN feed in the bullpen.

"That is the basics of it. I know this may not be what you want to hear, but we need more Marines in there, and have started calling some more of the IRRs for active duty. Anthony DiNozzo, you are being requested for active duty in Afghanistan," Sergeant Cooper informed Tony.

When Sergeant Cooper told Tony he would be going to Afghanistan, he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He would have to go to Afghanistan and risk his life. He would have to leave everyone, the team, Gibbs, Ducky, McGee, Abby, Ziva. He knew Abby would take it tough, since she and Gibbs knew him the longest. And Ziva, oh Ziva, he was going to miss her so much. "Sir, when would I have to leave?"

"In one week, you will have to report to Parris Island, South Carolina. I know that you have already completed basic training, but this is just for you to get back the Marine quality endurance and strength. You will be there for three weeks, and after that you will have a ten day leave before you have to report to leave for Afghanistan. Is that clear, Marine?"

"Yes sir, I will be there willing and ready."

"That is what I like to hear. I will see you in a week, Private DiNozzo." They said their goodbyes before hanging up. When he hung up, Tony collapsed onto the bed. He hung his head in his hands as he sat there silently, just thinking. He was nervous about going to Afghanistan to fight. He had heard what conditions were like there, and the amount of casualties were on the rise. He did not want to get hurt, or worse, die there.

He looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was 0630, and he needed to rush if he was going to get to work on time. While getting ready for the day, Tony thought about how he was going to tell everyone. He hadn't told anybody, not even Gibbs or Ziva that he was in the Reserve. He knew it would be hard on them, and he didn't want to think about it just yet. However, he knew he needed to tell them today so they could prepare for his leaving. 'Jeez, they only give a guy a week to prepare? What is this?' he thought to himself.

After he was finished showering and getting dressed, he made his way to the car and drove into NCIS, mentally prepping himself for the conversation he was about to have.

**All that I know about the Marine Corps Reserves is what I researched online, so if anything is wrong, please let me know. They didn't specify what happens when you get called for active duty, so I wrote what I thought would happen. I hope I'm not wrong, and if I am, just correct me.**

**I already have the next chapter written, I just don't know when I'll be able to post it. I have driving school all week 9 to 4 every day ): Hopefully it will be soon though. **

**Thanks for reading, please review (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**First, I just noticed I didn't put a disclaimer on this story. I do not own NCIS, CBS, or any of the characters. All original characters are property of my own imagination. Second, thanks for the reviews from the first chapter. Here is the second chapter. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Two**

Officer Ziva David and Special Agent McGee were sitting at their desks at NCIS at 0730, wondering where their colleague Tony was. It was not unlike him to be five minutes late or so, but never half an hour.

"McGee, do you know where Tony is?" McGee noticed the worry in Ziva's eyes when she asked him.

"No Ziva, I don't. I thought maybe you would know." Ziva became even more worried when she found out that McGee didn't know either.

"That is strange. I will try calling him." She was just about to dial his number when Tony came up from behind her and grabbed her phone out of her hand.

"No need," Tony proclaimed as he waltzed into the bullpen as if nothing was wrong. He sat down at his desk and began to check his e-mail.

"Tony, give me my phone back," Ziva spat as she walked towards the front of his desk.

"You're gonna have to fight me for it, Ziva." As Tony said this, she moved around his desk, and grabbed his wrist, taking her cell phone out of his grasp.

When she dropped his hand, she saw the distant and scared look in his eyes she had only seen a few times before. The last time she had seen that look was when the team had been separated after Jenny's death. "Tony, what is wrong?" Ziva asked tenderly.

"Nothing, I need to go see Vance," he whispered harshly to her as he strode out of the bullpen, up the stairs to the Director's office.

Just as Tony left the bullpen, Special Agent Gibbs got off the elevator, coffee cup in hand. "Where is DiNozzo going? He's already late."

"He said he needed to see Vance," Ziva replied from her desk. She was exceedingly worried about how Tony had acted this morning. First, he had been a half hour late, and then he had to speak to Vance. She tried to shake the bad feeling she had away. Lately, Ziva had been thinking about Tony more, but not in a professional way. Every time she locked eyes with him, or he gave her his signature DiNozzo grin, she couldn't help that her heart would beat faster and she become like a little school girl with a crush. Part of her wanted her to give into temptation and tell him how she felt about him. However, the Mossad part told her that he could never feel the same way, and that she was foolish for feeling this way towards a colleague.

------

Director Leon Vance was working on some paperwork when he heard the door to his office open, revealing Tony. Right on his heels was Cynthia, apologizing for Tony barging in on him.

"It's not problem Cynthia, I wasn't doing anything. Agent DiNozzo, I see you picked up some things from Gibbs. What do I owe this pleasure of seeing you to?" Vance asked sarcastically.

"It isn't a pleasure, Vance," Tony spat back at him gruffly.

"It's Director Vance to you, Agent DiNozzo." Vance was already irritated with Tony, and it had barely been a minute.

"Oh, I'm sorry, _Director_ Vance." Tony emphasized the 'Director' part, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sure you are. What is this about?" Vance asked curtly.

"Well, long story short, I enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve seven years ago and they need me for active duty in Afghanistan," Tony told him quickly.

Vance was visibly shocked by the fact that Tony was in the Reserve. To him, Tony was the irresponsible, frat boy type. He never imagined that Tony would take that much responsibility and serve his country like that. "Well, that's a shock. I take it you are resigning then?"

"No, not resigning. Just a really, really, long leave maybe." Tony didn't want to lose his job permanently; he just needed the time off for when he would be gone.

"Don't worry Agent DiNozzo, your job will be here when you get back. As much as a pain in the ass you are, you're still one of the best agents here. When will you be leaving?"

"In one week. I have to go through training, and then I'll be shipping out. They didn't really say how long I would be out there, probably as long as they need me."

Vance took a minute to think. "Have you told the team yet? I know that you are very close."

Tony shook his head. "No, I mean, I just found out this morning. I figured I should tell you first, then everyone else. You know, have some practice."

Vance could tell that Tony was nervous about going to Afghanistan and telling his team. "Go tell them. And take Thursday and Friday off, to get ready to leave."

"Thanks Director. I'm gonna go tell the team now," Tony declared as he walked towards the door.

"Agent DiNozzo," Vance called out as Tony turned his head towards him. "Thank you, for serving our country." Tony nodded his head in thanks before walking out the door.

As Tony walked out of Vance's office, he was met by Gibbs on the catwalk above the bullpen. "DiNozzo, what the hell's going on? First you're late, then you rush to talk to Vance right away before even seeing me and saying why you're late. What's happening?" Gibbs inquired angrily.

"I just need the entire team up in the bullpen, including Abby, Ducky, heck even the Autopsy Gremlin. I have something I gotta tell everyone, and I don't want to repeat it three different times." With that, Tony rushed off down to the bullpen, leaving Gibbs alone on the catwalk.

A half hour later, the entire team, plus Abby, Ducky, and Palmer were gathered in the bullpen. "Okay, guys, so I know you're probably wondering what I need to talk to you all. Well, um, it's pretty big news. Um…"

"DiNozzo, stop stalling and just spit it our already, will ya," Gibbs said to stop Tony from rambling.

"Um, yeah, on it boss. Do you want the long or short story?"

"Short," everyone replied at once.

"Okay. I'm going to Afghanistan."

It took a few seconds for everyone to register what he just said. "Is this another one of your undercover ops?" McGee asked.

"Nope, it's not an undercover op."

"Then it's a vacation, right?" Abby asked hopefully. "I don't know many people who would want to vacation in Afghanistan, but whatever floats your boat," she rambled on.

"No, it's not that either. I'm going to fight a war in Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom." Ziva and McGee gasped, Gibbs shook his head in disbelief, and Abby's eyes welled with tears. Tony saw the shock and sadness in everyone's eyes. Nobody was aware of the fact that he had even enlisted.

"Since when are you a soldier Tony?" Ziva asked.

"Um, seven years ago," Tony replied sheepishly.

"DiNozzo, full story. Now!" Gibbs boomed.

"Okay. Well, seven years ago, I had just left Baltimore PD and I needed a job. I couldn't find anything, so I enlisted in the Reserves in case I couldn't get a job anywhere, and I wanted to serve my country. I had just finished all my Selected Marine Corps Reserve obligations when I found work at NCIS, so I went straight to being an Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR. I could be called back anytime they needed it. And as you all know, the war in Afghanistan is getting pretty bad, so they need me to go fight."

Nobody said anything for a few minutes as they were too shocked. Finally Ziva spoke up. "So, you have been in the Marines for seven years and never told us? Why?"

Ziva was hurt that Tony never told her about enlisting. Throughout the four years of their friendship, they had shared many deep secrets that only each other knew. He was the only one who knew about her sister Tali, while she was the only one he talked to about what had happened between him and his father.

"Um, it never came up," he stuttered unsurely.

Ziva walked up to Tony boldly and looked him right in the eye. "It never came up," she scoffed. "Do not use that excuse. There are many things that would have never 'come up,' as you say, had you not forced me to tell you," she shouted, emphasizing her point by jabbing her finger into his chest. "What is the real reason? Are you ashamed about it, being a Marine?"

"I am not ashamed of being a Marine! I'm damn proud to serve my country!" he bellowed. The two of them were standing extremely close to one another, their faces only inches apart. He was talking to Ziva as if she was the only person in the room, but loud enough for everyone to hear. He kept eye contact with her as he spoke. "Alright, you wanna know the real reason? I didn't want anyone to think differently of me, okay? Is that a good enough excuse for you?"

Ziva was taken aback by the sharpness of Tony's answer. "Why would anybody treat you differently?

"I don't know." He paused, then sighed before answering. "I guess I didn't want people thinking any more or any less of me," he finally said quietly.

"Why would anyone think any less of you? There is nothing wrong with being a Marine." He shrugged before she continued. "And what is wrong with people thinking highly of you? You are doing something noble and good by serving your country, you should take pride in that."

Sometime throughout the conversation, Ziva had managed to place her hands of Tony's shoulders to comfort him, and their eyes were still locked. They stayed in that position for a few moments, before Gibbs coughed, reminding them that they were not alone and in the middle of the squad room.

Tony and Ziva broke away quickly before Gibbs spoke up. "When are you leaving?"

"I have to report to Parris Island, South Carolina for training to get back into shape. I'll be there for three weeks. Then I'll have ten day leave before shipping out. I have no idea how long I'll be out there."

"You're leaving us in a week? That's too soon," Abby whimpered through her tears. She had started sobbing immediately after Tony said he was leaving to fight in the war.

"Oh Abs, come here," Tony said as he walked over to Abby. He put his arms around her, and she smothered him in a hug. "It'll be fine. I'll go over there, serve our country, then come back. I'll be back before you even know it."

"But...but what if you get hurt, or worse?" She asked the question that everyone had been dreading.

"Don't worry, I won't get hurt. And if I do, I'll recover and be fine." He said it to make Abby feel better, but also to convince himself.

Although he was upset about losing his best agent, Gibbs was proud of Tony for stepping up and enlisting. He, like all the others, had been shocked initially when Tony had informed him. However, he could see Tony being a respectable, responsible Marine. When he had first joined NCIS, he had insisted on calling Gibbs "sir," and always followed orders, even though he may complain. He may have an irresponsible, party boy side to him, but Gibbs could still see the dependable Marine in him. The only thing that bothered Gibbs was that he couldn't spot that Tony was a Marine, as he was so keen on spotting them.

After talking for a few more minutes, everyone got back to work. Before sitting down at his desk, Gibbs walked over to Tony's desk. "So DiNozzo, what are we going to do about that hair of yours?"

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I should update by Saturday or Sunday, depending on when I have to work. Thanks for reading, and please review (:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews on last chapter. Enjoy this one (:**

**Chapter Three**

At 1900 that night, Tony was alone in his apartment when the doorbell rang. He assumed it was the Chinese delivery man, so he grabbed his wallet and walked over to the door. He swung it open, and was surprised to see Ziva on the other side, holding a brown bag with Chinese food in it.

"Ziva? What are you doing here, and why do you have my food?" he inquired, stunned.

"You do not seem happy that I am here," she replied casually as she walked into his apartment, setting the bag down on his kitchen table. She had been to his apartment enough times to know where everything was and be able to make herself at home.

"I am, don't get me wrong, I'm just surprised. I didn't know you were coming over, it's not Thursday is it?" For the past year, they would have movie nights every Thursday at either of their apartments.

"No, it is not Thursday. I came here to talk. And I met the delivery boy by the elevator, saved him a trip up here. You owe me $16.25." She smiled as she set out the containers containing different foods on the table.

They sat, talking about everything and nothing, for about fifteen minutes while eating, before Ziva brought up the real reason she had stopped by. "So, if you had never been called back to active duty, would you have ever told anyone?"

"You're seriously still upset about that? I already explained everything!" he exclaimed. He knew that Ziva had been upset, but he figured she would be over it by now.

"Of course I am! After all of the conversations we had and everything we told each other, you didn't think to bring that up! That is a pretty big thing to leave out." Ziva was extremely offended that Tony had not told her about being in the Marines, even when she had opened up about her time in the Israeli Defense Force and Mossad.

"I already told you, I didn't want anyone to treat me differently!" he shouted. They were both standing now, and with each word they were moving closer to one another.

"Nobody would have thought anything differently of you, Tony, you know that," she spat back.

"Yes they would have. Everyone would have been like 'Yes, sir,' and 'No, sir,' all the time and would have thought too highly of me." Tony paused for a moment before continuing. "I didn't do anything for people to think that good of me," he finally said quietly.

Ziva walked over to Tony and pushed him down into his seat before she sat back down in hers. "So that is what this is about? You do not want people to give you the praise you deserve?"

"I'm not doing anything special, like saving the planet or whatever" he countered, then paused for a moment. "I don't deserve any praise," he whispered quietly.

Ziva reached over the table and held Tony's hands in hers while she talked. "Yes, you do deserve the praise." He opened his mouth to object, but she shook her head to quiet him. "You are doing something so admirable for your country that you deserve all the praise that everyone gives you. Who would have thought, Tony DiNozzo not wanting praise?"

They both laughed, and then moved over to the couch. Tony grabbed two beers out of the fridge, and handed one to Ziva before sitting down next to her. They sat in comfortable silence before Tony began talking again. "I'm still nervous, though."

"Nervous about what?" Ziva questioned.

"Going overseas, you know, to Afghanistan. I have no idea what to expect. What if something happens to me? What was it like when you were in the IDF?"

Ziva had told Tony of her time in the IDF, or Israeli Defense Force, during one of their many movie nights. Again Ziva held Tony's hand, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her palm, reassuringly. "I was only in the IDF for not even a year, so I did not get the full experience. I am not going to lie to you though, it was tough. I never fought in combat, but the training was hard enough. And Mossad training is pretty much the same as IDF training, so I had to go through it twice. Some of my time at Mossad felt like I was in the IDF, especially when I went on missions. But you are strong, you will get through it. As long as you do not give up, you will be fine."

Tony felt a little better, but was still unsure about himself. "But what if I get hurt or something worse?"

"I am not going to say you will not get hurt, because nobody knows what will happen there. But if you do, then you got hurt, or worse case scenario, died for you country, which is a very honorable thing to do."

"What would happen if I did die though? Would the team be able to get over it? Would you be able to get through it?" he asked quietly.

Ziva didn't want to think of the consequences of Tony going to Afghanistan, especially if he did die. She honestly didn't know if she would be able to get over it, if Tony, the man she loved, died. _'No, you can't love him. You would get over it, he is just a colleague,'_ she told herself.

"It would be tough if something happened to you. I do not think anyone could get over losing another team member," she finally said after thinking for a moment. She decided to take the safe way out, by not telling him how she truly felt.

Tony looked into Ziva's eyes, and could see the sadness deep within them. He put his arms around her and held her close, letting her be vulnerable, if only for a moment. He wanted to give into his feelings, and tell her about his love for her, but he knew that now was not the time. He was leaving in less than a week, and both of them were too weak for anything like that. He had given in long ago to the fact that he did indeed love Ziva and knew there was no way to fight it, but it would have to wait until a better time.

They sat like that for a long while, simply holding each other, comforting one another. After they broke apart, Ziva looked slightly embarrassed for showing emotion, even it was only a little. "I, um, should get going," she stuttered out as she got up.

"Yeah, it's pretty late. I wanna be able to get up tomorrow," Tony replied casually, even though it hurt him she was leaving.

"I shall see you tomorrow at work, yes?"

"Yup. Wednesday's my last day, so I need to start cleaning out my desk." They moved awkwardly to the door.

"Alright. Goodbye, Tony," Ziva said as she walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

"Bye," he said before she shut the door. He leaned against the door, resting his forehead on the cold wood. "Oh, what am I gonna do?"

------

At 0700 the next morning, Tony, Ziva, and McGee were in the bullpen, waiting for Gibbs to arrive. They were all sure that he was already there, and was most likely out getting coffee. Tony was about to call him when he came sauntering into the bullpen, coffee cup in hand.

"Boss?" Tony asked when Gibbs had sat down at his desk, turning on his computer.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked impatiently. He was frustrated that he couldn't seem to get to his e-mail to read it, even though it was probably useless junk, he thought.

"Do you think we could maybe talk? When you're not busy?" Although Tony had talked to Ziva already, he wanted advice from Gibbs also, who had been in the Marines too and actually saw combat.

Gibbs immediately knew what Tony wanted to talk about. "Sure. Follow me," he said as he got up and walked towards the elevator. Tony got up and followed him into the elevator. When it started up, Gibbs hit the emergency stop switch and turned to Tony. "What do you want to know about the Marines?"

"How did you….you know what, I'm not even going to ask," he chuckled lightly before he continued. "I don't know, I'm just nervous. I already talked to Ziva, and she made me feel better, but I could use some more advice."

"You want to know what actual combat's like." It was more of a statement than a question, but Tony nodded in agreement anyways. "I'm not gonna lie and say its all fine and dandy. It sucks. It's about 100 degrees out there in your uniform, you're tired all the time because you barely sleep, the food sucks, and you never know when someone's gonna come around and you'll need to be ready to fight at a moments notice. But when it's all said and done and you're back home, you feel good knowing that you've served your country."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me, that I'll feel great serving my country and all," Tony sighed.

"It's the truth. When I came back after Desert Storm, I had support from so many people. It helped me get through things." Gibbs failed to mention that Shannon and Kelly had died while he was away, but Tony knew none the less. "The only problem you'll have is your hair. We gotta get that cut soon."

"But boss, they'll cut it when I get to training camp, why can't I wait 'til then?" Tony whined.

"Believe me, it'll be a lot worse if they cut it there than if you get it cut while you're still here." Gibbs hit the emergency stop again, bringing the elevator back to life. "Come on, we'll go to a barber now and get it done. It won't be too bad," Gibbs teased as they walked back into the bullpen. As Tony walked to his desk to collect his phone, SIG, and badge before leaving, he felt a familiar stinging on the back of his head.

"What was that for?" Tony complained.

"For not telling me you're a Marine. I'd head slap myself too for not knowing."

"What, are your spidey-senses off?" Tony taunted as they walked back towards the elevator. Gibbs gave him a steely glare. "Shutting up boss."

"Where are you going now?" McGee called from the bullpen.

"DiNozzo's getting his hair cut. Be back shortly."

An hour later, Ziva and McGee looked up from the cold case files they were currently reviewing at the "ding" of the elevator to see Gibbs and a sullen looking Tony walking out. When they walked into the bullpen, Ziva and McGee could see that Tony had the hood from this sweatshirt covering his head.

"DiNozzo, take that damn hood off. It isn't that bad," Gibbs demanded as both agents sat down at their respective desks.

"But boss…" Tony started, but was cut off by Gibbs.

"You're going to have to get used to it eventually. Take off the hood," Gibbs ordered.

Tony sighed in defeat as he lowered the hood, revealing his new short hair cut. It was short, buzzed on the sides and a bit longer on top. It was a standard Marine cut, like Gibbs', only much shorter.

When Tony took off his hood, McGee gasped and Ziva had to suppress a laugh. For as long as they had been at NCIS, nobody had ever seen Tony with short hair.

"Oh my," Ziva exclaimed as she got up and walked over to Tony. "That is certainly different. However, it does not look bad." She had to admit, Tony still looked good with his hair cut short. If anything, it made him look even better. She raised her hand and ran her hand through what was left of his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "My head is cold."

**This chapter is pretty short, just a filler. The next chapter is when Tony leaves for Parris Island. I have a lot of summer reading and work I have to do for school, which starts in a month, so it may be a little bit longer between updates, sorry ): but if you guys review, I may be motivated to update quicker. **

**Thanks for reading and please review (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the nice and helpful reviews on the last chapter. Here is today's, enjoy (:**

**Chapter Four**

Thursday night, Tony was in his apartment waiting for Ziva to come over. Even though he would be leaving on Sunday, they still decided to have their weekly movie night. They both decided that since this would be their last one, they should make it extra special. Tony had made Ziva's favorite dish, pasta primavera, and for dessert he prepared a tiramisu layer cake.

At 2000, Tony was just finishing up dinner when the doorbell rang. He ran to the door and opened it, and was stunned when he saw Ziva. She was wearing a deep emerald cotton dress that hugged every curve. It had a deep v-neck and stopped a few inches short of her knees. When she turned her back, you could see that there was a floral cut out where the back should be, giving Tony a lovely view of her toned back. Her hair was straight, flowing down her back, and she had gold high heels on that matched her gold Star of David necklace.

"Whoa. You look great," Tony managed to stutter as he let Ziva in. He looked at his watch quickly before adding, "And you're right on time."

"Thank you. You do not look too bad yourself," she responded as she walked over to his kitchen table and sat down. He was wearing a black dress shirt with matching black pants. The green tie he was wearing made his eyes look even brighter than normal, making Ziva's heart flutter when she looked into them. "We even match."

"Yeah, we do," Tony declared. When Ziva reached across the table to grab a napkin, Tony had a full view of her cleavage, and he could tell she was wearing a black lace bra. He nervously gulped before walking over to the table, with two plates of food. "Dinner is served," he said in his best French accent.

"_Toda,"_ Ziva said as he set the plate down in front of her.

"_Prego,"_ Tony replied as he sat down across from her.

"Mmh, Tony, this is divine," Ziva gushed as she tasted the pasta primavera. "If I must say, this is the best it has ever been."

"Well thank you. I tried to make it extra good today." He flashed his signature DiNozzo smile, and she just rolled her eyes.

After dinner and dessert, which Ziva said was "marvelous," they were still sitting at the kitchen table silently. Ziva was busy scanning Tony's apartment, while he watched her intently. A few minutes later, Ziva started chuckling silently to herself.

"What's so funny, Zee-vah?" Tony asked, perplexed.

"Have you even started packing yet?" Ziva questioned.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, no."

Ziva just laughed again as she got up and started walking towards Tony's bedroom. "Whoa, slow down there. I mean, we're moving a bit fast there aren't we?" he questioned jokingly.

"We are not doing _that_, Tony. I am going to help you pack."

"Really?" Tony was surprised that Ziva would actually help him pack. "Wow, thanks. That's really nice of you."

"Yeah, do not get too used to it," she said jokingly as they walked into his room.

Since Tony would be gone for at least six months and his lease was almost up, he wouldn't renew the lease on his apartment so he wouldn't have to pay for it while he wasn't there. He didn't really like his apartment anyways, so he didn't mind too much. He would keep all his possessions that didn't go with him to Afghanistan, which was most of them, at Gibbs' place.

They started with his closet, putting all of his suits, shirts, shoes, and ties into boxes to be stored in Gibbs' spare room. Next they packed up his jeans and shirts, leaving a few out for him to wear until Sunday.

"Hey, do you still have that shirt I let you borrow?" Tony asked as they were cleaning out his dresser.

Ziva blushed when he brought up the shirt. During a case a couple months ago, they had gotten caught in the rain while chasing a suspect. Since Tony's apartment was closer, they went back there to change, where Tony let Ziva borrow one of his Ohio State t-shirts. She still had it, and wore it almost every night to bed. "Yes I do. Do you want it back?"

"No, no it's fine, you can keep it. I have a lot more, and I don't think I'll need them in Afghanistan." He pulled out a pair of grey sweat pants that had "OSU" in red written down one leg. "Here, you can have these too. I know you were always complaining that you wanted baggy sweat pants for bed."

"Thank you," Ziva said, hiding her still blushing face from Tony. When he wasn't looking, she held the pants against her face, drinking in the scent of Tony from them and becoming intoxicated by it. The pants smelled exactly like Tony, an irresistible mix of his body wash and cologne, musky with a slight citrus undertone.

"No problem. Like I said, I won't be needing them in boot camp or Afghanistan."

------

"Tony, hurry up! You are going to miss your plane!"

It was Sunday afternoon, time for Tony to leave for Parris Island. It was now 1300, and his plane was set to leave at 1430. Ziva had agreed to pick up Tony at his apartment to bring him to the airport, where they would meet the rest of the team so they could see him off.

As Ziva was waiting outside of Tony's apartment, she tried to suppress her emotions. She knew that this was the last time she would ever walk up to Tony's apartment. Soon, she would be seeing him off to Parris Island, and she wouldn't see him for three weeks. She knew that she shouldn't be upset, and that it was only three weeks. But she also knew that inevitably following him returning, he would be leaving for at least six months. This was the longest she would be away from him since joining the team four years ago. Even when the team had been separated over the summer for four months, Ziva had not been as distressed as now. She had known where Tony was, and that he was safe on the U.S.S. Seahawk. Now he would be in the middle of a war zone, his life in constant danger.

After five more minutes of Ziva knocking on his door and yelling, Tony finally appeared at the door. "Alright, alright, I'm here. Hold your horses woman."

Ziva tilted her head to the side, confusion in her eyes. "I do not have any horses. And if I did, I obviously would hold them so they…"

She was cut off by Tony laughing lightly. "It's an expression, Zee-vah," he said through his laughter.

"Americans and their stupid sayings. They do not make any sense," she muttered as they made their way out of Tony's apartment to Ziva's mini.

They arrived at the airport at 1330, and after making it through the lines and security, it was 1400 when they sat down, waiting for Tony's plane for board. After much badge flashing, Ziva, Gibbs, McGee, and Abby were able to make it through security to see Tony off at the gate.

Everyone sat together quietly, not knowing what to say for about fifteen minutes. "Tony, I'm really going to miss you," Abby finally said from her seat between Ziva and McGee, with tear filled eyes.

"Oh, Abby, don't cry." Tony got up and walked over to where Abby was sitting and crouched down on the ground to talk to her. "I'll be fine. This is only training, and I'll be back in three weeks."

"Yeah, but after that you'll be gone for more than six months. And you'll be in Afghanistan, in the middle of a war!" She let a single tear roll down her cheek.

"Abby," Tony said, taking her hands into his. "I will be fine. I am going to go to Afghanistan for six months, maybe more. I'll come back, and things will be back to normal. Don't worry yourself silly. Okay?"

"Okay," she said tearfully. Tony reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, and pulled her into a hug. After holding each other for a minute, Tony returned to his seat between Gibbs and Ziva.

"_Now boarding, Flight 43 to Hilton Head, South Carolina. All passengers please report to gate 14."_

The team looked around nervously, before Tony got up. "Well, I guess it's time."

Tony said his goodbyes to McGee first. "Look after them, Probie. Especially Abby, she's gonna take this tough. You're the senior field agent now."

McGee slapped him on the back. "I will. Take care Tony."

Next Tony went over to Abby, who jumped him and gave him a bone crushing hug. "I'm gonna miss you so much Tony."

"I'll be fine. See you in three weeks," he managed to say, even though he couldn't breathe.

She let go, and he turned around to see Gibbs right behind him. "Ya' know boss, I'm really gonna miss you sneaking up behind me all the time. Almost as much as I'm gonna miss late nights full of paperwork, you before your morning coffee, and…" he was cut off by Gibbs head slapping him. "Almost as much as those too. Thanks boss."

"You better keep that smart ass mouth at home, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he patted him on the back.

"Yes, boss."

Finally, Ziva was the only person to say goodbye to. Tony knew that she would be the hardest person to leave behind. He walked up to her and pulled her close, into a heart warming hug. Her head was nestled against his chest, while he rested his chin on top of her head, burying his face in her hair. "Oh Zi, I'm really gonna miss you," he whispered.

"I will as well." She looked up to him, locking her eyes on his. "You promise to keep in contact, yes?"

He nodded. "Every day I can, I promise." He pulled her closer to him, hugging her tighter, and rested his forehead on hers, still keeping eye contact. "Three weeks, and I'll be back."

"I will be waiting. We all will be," Ziva replied sadly. A part of her was chastising herself for being so upset that Tony was leaving. She knew he would be back in three short weeks. However, she couldn't help but be sad that her partner, best friend, and the man that she loved. Inwardly she cursed herself for admitting she loved him, but she knew there was no use in denying it.

Tony broke away for a quick minute to grab something from his pocket. He opened up his hand, and a long silver chain fell from his hand, dangling from his finger. On the end were Tony's Marine dog tags. "This is my extra set. I want you to keep these while I'm gone."

She took them from his hand and placed them around her neck. "I will take good care of them." He took her back in his arms, stroking her back with his hand.

They stayed together for another minute, simply holding each other, until the final boarding call came over the intercom. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," Tony said as they broke apart.

"Only for a short while," Ziva said, and then turned around to walk back to the rest of the group.

They watched Tony walk to the gate and hand his boarding pass to the attendant. As he walked into the terminal, he turned back and waved to everyone one last time. They waved back, and saw him disappear into the terminal leading to the plane.

**I feel Ziva was slightly OOC, but this is how I figured she would act if her best friend was going away. This chapter is shorter than usual, but it had a lot going on in it. Thank you for reading, please review (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the long wait between chapters. I was stuck on a certain part, and I didn't want to post until I was absolutely certain about it. I have also been busy lately with work and *cringe* summer homework since school starts again *cringe again* September 1****st****. I have to read **_**Angela's Ashes, Tweak**_**, and five chapters of my A.P. Biology textbook and do worksheets on it. Fun ): Because of that, and dance classes starting also, updates may not be as frequent, but they will still happen.**

**Please read and enjoy (:**

**Chapter Five**

Ziva walked into the bullpen on Monday morning at 0620, exhausted. It had been a week and a day since Tony left for Parris Island, and she was still getting accustomed to him not being there all the time. She hadn't been away from him for more than three days since Vance had split up the team over the summer. She hadn't been able to sleep properly since he left, and had been showing up at NCIS well before 0700 every morning. Whenever she thought of him, she would subconsciously fidget with his dog tags, which she wore around her neck every day.

She sat down at her desk, not at all surprised to see Gibbs was already sitting at his desk, coffee cup in hand. As soon as she sat down, the elevator doors opened, and McGee walked out and headed towards his own desk. Being a man down, the team had more work to do now. The team was much more dismal now, as most of the childish banter and joking had left when Tony had. There were no more jokes played on McGee, no more playful flirting between Ziva and Tony, and no more stalling paperwork by e-mailing each other back and forth. Gibbs still hadn't picked a replacement agent, even with Vance breathing down his neck to choose quickly. He was stalling his selection as much as possible.

As soon as Ziva was done turning on her computer and checking her e-mail, Chuck the mailman walked into the bullpen with mail for everyone. Ziva normally got none, so she was surprised when he stopped by her desk and dropped an envelope on it. Looking at it, she saw that it was a letter, hand addressed to her. She looked at the return address – Parris Island, South Carolina. Instantly her eyes brightened up, and she practically tore the envelope apart to get the letter out.

_Dear Ziva,_

_Hey Zi! How's it going back in DC without me? Sorry I haven't written yet, I have been pretty busy and extremely exhausted. Today's Wednesday, and it's the first day I haven't passed out right when I lay down in bed at night. Man, I forgot how tough boot camp was. Getting up at the butt crack of dawn, crappy food, exhausting training work outs, more crappy food. It just sucks. And you know what's even worse? There aren't any girls – sorry, women – here. I haven't seen a woman since the plane ride here, and believe me, she wouldn't be my first choice. You know, I could really use those bikini pics from my time as Agent Afloat. Just kidding, you would probably kill me if you found out I had those again. But hey, they couldn't hurt. I couldn't even bring any pictures of the team with me. The only thing you can bring here is your bible. _

_I can't wait to be back in DC with everyone. I really do miss everyone. Abby, Gibbs, Probie-san, Ducky, heck I even miss the Autopsy Gremlin and Vance. Okay, Vance not so much. But I miss you the most. You were my best friend back home in DC, and it sucks not being able to talk to you every day. I miss your ninja skills, threatening to kill me with a paper clip, our movie nights, making fun of McGee all the time, correcting your English; damn I miss everything about you. _

_How's McSenior Agent holding down the team? Is he abusing the power like I did half the time? He better not get too used to it. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. Then we have ten whole days before I leave again. Stay strong Ziva, for me and the team._

_I promise to write every day I can. I would call, but there are no phones in boot camp. Say hi to everyone and tell them I miss them all, especially Abby. I know she's taking this pretty hard. I'll try to write to her, too. _

_See you soon,_

_Tony_

While reading his letter, Ziva had a permanent smile on her face because she had finally heard from Tony. However, she felt wetness in her eyes, seeing how upset he was and because she missed him so much. When she was done, she looked up to see that both Gibbs and McGee were looking at her strangely. "What? Is there something on my face?" she asked, her hand automatically moving to her eyes to make sure no tears had spilt from her eyes.

"No, you're fine," McGee said quickly.

"Who's the letter from?" asked Gibbs, still giving her a questioning glare.

"Tony," she replied, covering up her smile quickly.

McGee and Gibbs kept looking at her. "Well, are you going to tell us what it says?"

"Oh, yeah," Ziva said quickly, slightly embarrassed. She chose her words quickly, as to not reveal too much. She contemplated telling them that Tony said he missed her the most, but she knew she should probably keep that to herself, so Gibbs and McGee didn't assume things that were not true. "Well, he said he hates boot camp and that he misses everyone, it a sea shell."

"Nut shell," both Gibbs and McGee corrected automatically.

"Ah, yes, nut shell," she stored that idiom in the back of her mind for later reference.

"Not surprised," Gibbs said as he got back to working on his report. "Boot camp's hell."

"I am going to visit Abby," Ziva informed Gibbs and McGee as she walked to the elevator. When she got off the elevator at Abby's lab, she was immediately met by blaring music coming from the open lab doors.

"Abby!" Ziva yelled over the ear drum splitting music. She continued to yell until she was about three feet behind Abby, who finally realized she was there.

"Hey Ziva!" Abby shouted back. "What's up?" Ever since Tony had left, Ziva and Abby had become good friends, as they were both extremely close to him. Ziva had even opened up a bit, and Abby was the only person she would tell she missed Tony more than she let on.

"Turn the music down!" Ziva yelled, and Abby obliged. "I got a letter from Tony."

Abby instantly perked up. "Oh my gosh, it's about time! What did he say? Is he having a horrible time?"

"Calm down Abby. Here, I brought it down, read it for yourself."

Abby silently read the letter to herself, and then looked up at Ziva. "Oh, he totally loves you! I knew it!"

Ziva just laughed at Abby's claim casually. "Abby, do not be ridiculous. He just simply misses me. I am his best friend, he said so."

Abby brushed off Ziva's dismissal of Tony's feelings. "No, he really does love you. I know he does. This is the type of letter a boyfriend would so write to his girlfriend. I mean, all those looks you two would give each other, and you spent so much time together, even outside of work." Suddenly, Abby's eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh. My. God. You love him too!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" Ziva scoffed. "Abby that is absolutely absurd. I do not love Tony," she denied, even though inside she was screaming that she did love him, even if it was against her better judgment.

"Don't deny it Ziva, I know you do. They way you look at each other when you think no one's looking, and you both get jealous when the other has a date. You two totally love each other! You need to tell him."

"Abby," Ziva said, suddenly becoming serious. "Even if I did love Tony, I am not going to tell him now. He is about to go off and fight in a war zone. I can not distract him with something like that."

"But what if something happens to him and you never get the chance to tell him that you love him? You'll have to live with the regret of not telling him for the rest of your life," Abby countered.

"But I do not love him, so I would not have any regret. Besides, nothing is going to happen to him, okay?" Ziva reassured her. Ever since Tony left for camp, Abby had been convinced that something was going to happen to him in Afghanistan.

"Fine. But theoretically, if you did love him, you should tell him when he gets home," Abby said as she winked in Ziva's direction.

Ziva sighed as she walked out of Abby's lab. "If only you knew," she muttered under her breath.

------

_Parris Island, South Carolina_

"Mail's here!"

Tony looked up from his tray of food to see a letter being placed in front of him. He quickly set the food aside and started examining the envelope. The first thing he noticed was the neat penmanship, and then he noted the return address – NCIS. He smiled to himself, and then stored the letter away in his pocket to read later. He hurried to finish his dinner and then made his way to his bunk.

As soon as he sat on his bed, he ripped open the envelope, and found two pieces of paper. He opened up the first, to find it was a letter, and began reading.

_Tony,_

_I am going to kill McGee. How did I know that you would mention those bikini pictures? I am surprised you survived more than a few days without any women or movies. I have missed you also, and so has the rest of the team. Abby is taking your absence pretty hard, and Gibbs is more irritated than ever. He still had not picked a replacement, and Vance said if he did not pick in another week he will make the decision himself. McGee has, how do you say, kicked up his game and filled the role of senior agent well. We have only had one case so far, but it was solved within a few days. _

_I miss you, but I know that you will be back soon. I still wear your dog tags everyday. As I am writing this letter, it is Monday, so you should be back within two weeks. It is strange, not having my best friend here for Thursday movie nights or to have my back in the field. I already told Gibbs that I will only go into the field with him or McGee. I refuse to have a replacement agent, who I do not trust, watch my back. You are the only person I truly trust to watch my six._

_Abby told me to say hi and that she missed you very much. Both Gibbs and McGee say hello also. Gibbs said that training will get better eventually. Stay strong Tony, I know you can do it._

_Yours truly,_

_Ziva_

_P.S. I included something that you may enjoy._

Tony put the letter to the side, and unfolded the other piece of paper. He did a double take, and then started grinning. Inside of the envelope had been one of the pictures of Ziva Tony had taken in Los Angeles. It was one of the infamous bikini pictures. "A-ha!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"Dude, what's that?" Tony heard a voice behind him asking. He turned around to see Private Trevor Weatherton standing at the foot of his bed. Since the start of camp, Tony had become good friends with his bunkmate, Private Weatherton, and another man from camp, Private Gregory Bailey. They were both from around DC, and all three of them would be shipping out to Afghanistan together in the same unit.

"I got a letter from Ziva, and she sent me a picture." Tony had told Trevor and Greg all about Ziva, claiming that he thought only of her as a good friend. They both had been reluctant to believe him, but had dropped it after Tony had started getting mad. Tony handed the picture to Trevor so he could see it.

"Whoa," Greg whistled, who had appeared behind Trevor. "Damn, you're one lucky guy. You sure you're 'just friends?'"

"I'm sure man. Believe me," Tony sighed. He knew that he wanted to be more than friends with Ziva, but he wasn't sure if she felt the same way as him.

"That's how Megan and I started out, man." Greg had told Tony and Trevor about his girlfriend from back home, Megan. They had started out as friends, and then two years after they met, Greg finally admitted how he felt to her. She told him she felt the same way, and they had been together ever since, three years after they told each other how they truly felt.

"Same with me and Paige," Trevor said, talking about him and his fiancé, who were high school sweet hearts. "We had been friends since we were ten before I admitted that I love her. You just gotta tell her how you feel dude, and if she doesn't feel the same way, then you can still be friends."

"It's different in our situation though. We work in a high stress job, where we have to be focused all the time. Besides, our boss has a rule against coworkers dating." Tony had always resented Gibbs' rule twelve ever since Ziva had joined the team.

"Whatever man. Good luck with your girl though." Greg patted Tony on the back before heading to bed.

Tony wrote his response letter to Ziva, including a short letter for Abby, and then headed to bed. He took one last look at the picture of Ziva before placing it under his pillow, and then fell asleep quickly.

**First, I would like to mention that I loved writing the characters of Privates Weatherton and Bailey. Weatherton is loosely based on one of my friends, who joined the Marines last year (he's the one who told me you can only bring a bible with you to boot camp). This chapter is dedicated to him.**

**Secondly, thank you for reading, and please review (: **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the delay in posting of this chapter. As I've said before, I've been busy with work and back to school work. However, my last day of my summer job is Tuesday, tomorrow (: That means this week I'll have more time to do back to school work, and hopefully more time to update. Also, thank you for the feedback on the previous chapters of this story.**

**Here is the next chapter, enjoy!**

**Chapter Six**

Two weeks later at 1000 Saturday morning, Ziva and Gibbs were in the airport, waiting for Tony's flight to arrive into Dulles. They were going to pick him up and bring him to Gibbs' house, where he would be staying during his ten day leave before leaving again for Afghanistan. At Gibbs' place, the team was having a small welcome home dinner, to talk and catch Tony up on everything that had happened while he was away.

"_Now landing, Flight 35 from Hilton Head, South Carolina at Gate 6."_

"That is Tony's flight," Ziva said as she stood from the seat she was sitting in and headed towards the terminal, Gibbs following closely on her heels.

Ten minutes later, Ziva and Gibbs were waiting by Gate 6 for Tony to get off the plane. _"Flight 35 has now landed at Gate 6. Passengers should be arriving momentarily. Thank you_."

On cue, Tony walked into the terminal, and immediately found Ziva and Gibbs. Ziva and tony locked eyes and smiled widely at each other. Tony began walking faster in her direction, and they kept their eyes on each other the entire time.

"Zee-vah!" Tony exclaimed as he walked towards her, still smiling. "Ziva, Ziva Ziva. My lovely Ziva. Oh how much I've missed you." He dropped his small carry on bag to the ground, then hugged Ziva tightly. She hugged him back, and he picked her up and began twirling her around.

"Tony, put me down," Ziva said sternly, but still had a smile plastered on her face. He continued spinning her for a few moments before placing her down on the ground gently. They continued looking at each other for a minute, completely forgetting Gibbs was there until he cleared his throat loudly.

"You two, quit playing grab ass. I know you just got back from three weeks without women, but save it for someone other than a coworker." He then slapped Tony on the back of the head.

"Boss, seriously?" Tony cried, insulted. "You don't see me for three weeks, and the first thing you do is head slap me?"

"You deserved it," said Gibbs before he patted Tony on the back. "Welcome back, Private."

"Thank you, Gunny." Ziva noticed that Tony had changed a good deal from his time away, physically and emotionally. His hair was still in a short military crop, but his skin was much tanner. She couldn't help but notice that his muscles were more defined than they were before. She thought he looked good before, but now she was even more attracted to him, and couldn't help but admit to herself that he was hot.

Even though he was still joking like usual, she could also see that he had become more serious. In his letters he had sent, and the way he was talking to Gibbs, she could see that being in boot camp changed him, making him more serious and mature. Even in his short time back, he hadn't smiled as much as he normally would.

"Why don't we get to your house, boss? I want to see the rest of the team. I miss them all," Tony asked, excited like a child at Christmas.

"Alright DiNozzo. Let's go."

------

"Where are they? They should be back already, especially if Gibbs is driving."

"Abby, calm down. Maybe Tony's plane got delayed or something." For the past ten minutes Abby had been babbling hysterically about how Gibbs and Ziva should be with Tony already and how much she missed Tony. McGee had been trying unsuccessfully to calm her. She was pacing around Gibbs' living room, only taking a break to look at McGee's laptop.

"I already checked Timmy. The plane landed right on schedule. Why is it taking so long?" Abby had already started the countdown of how long Tony was gone and had brought out "Broom Tony."

"I don't know Abby. You can ask them when they get here."

"Ask us what, Probie?" asked a voice from the doorway.

"TONY!!!" Abby yelled, throwing herself into Tony's arms.

"Oomph," Tony groaned, wrapping his arms around Abby in return. "Good to see you too Abby."

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, unwrapping her arms from around him and grabbing his arms. "Wow, you got really strong. You're muscles are huge!"

"Boot camp will do that to you, Abs," Gibbs said from the corner he had sat in. Ziva was standing next to Tony, slightly behind him.

"Did you get this buff Gibbs?" Abby asked, excited.

Gibbs glared at her before Tony coughed. "Abby, I really don't wanna hear about how buff Gibbs was." He spotted McGee, who had moved to the couch, and walked up to him. "My Probie! How have you been, senior field agent?"

"I've been good Tony," he said, as Tony put an arm around him. "How was it at Parris Island?"

"Aw man, it was pretty bad. No movies, or pizza with extra cheese, extra pepperoni, and extra sausage," Tony whined.

Ziva appeared from behind Tony. "Pay up, McGee."

McGee groaned and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, handing it to Ziva. "What was all that about?" Tony asked as she folded the bill neatly and slipped it into her pocket.

"McGee said that you would complain about there being no women first, but I bet that you would complain about movies or pizza first." Ziva sent a gloating smirk in McGee's direction.

Tony continued to tell stories to the team, him and Gibbs sharing inside jokes every once in a while. They talked about cases at NCIS and other events. After a few hours of food, drink, and story telling, Ducky and Jimmy decided to head home.

"Anthony, it is time for me and Mr. Palmer to go. It is time for mother to retire. It was good to see you, my dear boy." Ducky and Jimmy said their goodbyes to the rest of the team and left.

"Me and Timmy are gonna head home to." Gibbs, Ziva, and Tony gave the both of them a questioning glance. "Not together, sillies. He drove me here."

"Sure," Tony said, unconvinced. "I'll see you on Monday. I'm gonna come by NCIS to visit, since I have nothing to do until next Monday."

After Abby and McGee left, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva were the only ones left at Gibbs' house. Tony would be staying at Gibbs' house while he was back, and Ziva was in no rush to leave Tony yet.

As Ziva and Gibbs were talking about a current case, Tony was studying Ziva intently. She hadn't changed much in the three weeks he was gone, but she did look a bit thinner and had small dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't been sleeping. For the first time, he noticed a silver chain around her neck that contrasted with her gold Star of David necklace. He looked down, and saw his dog tags hanging from the chain against her black shirt. "Hey, you're still wearing my dog tags," Tony interrupted Ziva, who had been explaining something to Gibbs.

Ziva looked up at him, surprised by the interruption. "Of course I am. I promised I would keep them, and I already told you I wore them everyday. Do you not want me to wear them?"

"No, no that's fine. I'm actually really glad that you wear them," he stuttered nervously.

Ziva looked at Tony, Tony looked at Ziva, and they were immediately lost in each others eyes. Tony hadn't been able to see Ziva's deep chocolate brown eyes, and Ziva missed Tony's emerald irises. They continued looking at each other, not saying a word, until Gibbs coughed, reminding them they were not alone. "Rule twelve is still in affect, you two, even if Tony doesn't technically work at NCIS anymore."

Ziva's eyes widened and she looked away from Tony, embarrassed that she had been caught gazing into Tony eyes, like a lover would.

"What? Boss, come on, it's Ziva. She's my best friend," Tony stammered, thinking of an excuse for being caught. He looked back at Ziva quickly, then gave Gibbs his signature DiNozzo smile.

Ever since Ziva had arrived at NCIS, Gibbs could feel the tension between the two. It would take a blind and deaf man to not know they were attracted to each other. However, he was sure that they didn't know how the other felt, which is how he had wanted it to stay. But recently, he started thinking that maybe the two of them could work out. He knew they weren't him and Jenny, and that they could possibly be in it for the long haul, even with Tony's playboy ways and Ziva's inability to open up and show her feelings.

"Okay DiNozzo, you keep thinking that," Gibbs mumbled quietly to himself.

------

At 0700 on Monday morning, Tony walked into the NCIS building for the first time in almost a month. Gibbs had brought Tony into work with him so he could see Vance and all the other NCIS employees he hadn't seen since he left. Gibbs easily woke up Tony at 0600, as he was accustomed to waking early at boot camp.

"Ah, it's good to be back," Tony proclaimed as he walked into the bullpen, sitting down in his old desk. Everybody already knew that Tony was going to be visiting NCIS that day, so they entire team, plus Abby, Ducky, Palmer, and Vance were already in the bullpen waiting for him. "Director Vance. How's it going? What's it like here without me?"

"Much quieter," Vance replied as he walked up to Tony's desk. "How was boot camp?"

"Oh man, don't even get me started. It was awful! I mean, the drill instructor had a real stick up his ass. It was just as bad as basic training, and that was longer than this!" Tony kept complaining about his time in boot camp to anyone who would listen, though most just tuned him out without interrupting him, much like they did when Ducky told his stories.

He stopped talking when he heard the elevator doors ding open. The group turned around to see a man, in his late twenties with short blonde hair and blue eyes, rush from the elevator and into the bullpen. "Sorry I'm late sir, I mean Gibbs." The blonde man saw Tony sitting at his old desk, then turned to McGee and Ziva. "Seriously, what is this? You two make me sit in the desk all the way in the corner, and I'm part of the team, but you let this random guy sit in Agent DiNozzo's old desk?" The team started at the man, amused by his mistake. "I don't think he would like that too much," he said sarcastically, imitating what the team had said for the past three weeks.

"Brown," Gibbs finally interrupted, while everyone laughed lightly.

"Yes?" the man, who Tony learned was named Brown asked.

"I'd like you to meet Private Anthony DiNozzo."

The look of shock on Brown's face was priceless, and caused the team to laugh out loud. "Oh, um, I'm sorry sir, Private DiNozzo. Um, I'm Special Agent Adam Brown."

Tony stood up to shake Brown's hand. "You're the guy replacing me, huh? How long have you been with NCIS, Agent Brown?"

"I just started, sir." Tony could tell that Brown was nervous.

"So that makes you the new probie?" Tony asked, amused that he was making the young agent squirm.

"Yes, I guess sir."

"Don't call me sir. Tony is fine." Brown relaxed slightly before Tony continued. "Probie Jr., has Probie Sr. been pulling rank and giving you newbie jobs that you hate?"

"Yeah, half the time he's intolerable!" whined Brown. "And it's only to me. He makes me call him 'Senior Special Agent McGee' every time I address him."

"I see," Tony said as he walked up to McGee. "Good job Probie!" he exclaimed as he gave McGee a pat on the back.

"Okay every one, back to work," Gibbs called from his desk. "McGee, I want you to talk to the men in Addy's unit. Take Brown with you." McGee and Brown grabbed their gear and walked to the elevator. "Ziva, pull up financials and phone records." The rest left to their respective offices, while Gibbs left also, must likely to get more coffee, leaving Ziva and Tony alone in the bullpen.

"How do you like Agent Brown?" Tony asked after a few hours of silence, interrupted only by the sound of keyboard tapping. Gibbs was up talking to the director, and McGee and Brown were out in the field. He had been reclining at his desk with his feet up, looking at an old issue of GSM.

Ziva didn't look up from the computer screen. "He is a typical newbie. Naïve and eager to please."

"Sounds about right." There was silence for a few more minutes until Ziva leaned back in her seat, complete with her work. "So, did you miss me?"

"Yes," she looked him in the eye as she answered him. "But I believe I already told you that."

Tony got up and walked behind Ziva's desk, placing his hands on each arm rest and leaned closely into her. "You've written it, but you never actually voiced it."

Ziva sighed heavily. "Fine. Tony, I missed you. Happy now?"

"Maybe." He looked around the bullpen and saw that they were still alone. "Let's get out of here."

"And go where, exactly?" Ziva asked uncertainly.

"It's almost time for lunch. I'm sure Gibbs won't mind you taking a slightly longer lunch break." In all honesty, Tony hadn't had the chance to properly talk to Ziva since he got back, and he wanted some alone time with her.

"We could go get pizza and that place you like so much," she suggested.

"God yes, let's go there! Do you know how long it's been since I've had pizza?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him to the elevator.

**Sorry if there are any mistakes, I edited this about five minutes before I left for work. I really need a beta, so if you know any or are one yourself, let me know. **

**Thanks for reading, and please review (:**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm SOOOO sorry about not updating quicker. I know it's a lame excuse, but this past week has been hectic. I had my last day of work, AP Biology summer work, and then I had to help out at freshmen orientation at my high school. This chapter is a tad bit longer, and it's pretty important, and has some cute little Tiva moments.**

**Enjoy (:**

**Chapter Seven**

Tony walked slowly up the stairs, not even bothering to take the elevator. He wanted more time to simply think before reaching his intended destination, Ziva's apartment. Tonight was the last time he was going to spend time with her for at least six months, maybe more, depending on his orders. He hoped that tonight would go well, and that it wouldn't hurt too much to leave.

He stood in front of the door, breathing deeply to calm his nerves, before raping on the wood door in front of him. A minute passed before the door opened, revealing Ziva. "Shalom Tony."

"Hey Ziva," Tony walked into her apartment, quickly scanning the place. "Mhh, what smells so good?"

"I made your favorite dinner, chicken parmesan with spaghetti, even though it is not kosher." She walked into her kitchen and Tony followed, having been there many times before.

"You, Zee-vah Da-veed," he elongated the syllables on purpose, because he knows it annoys her, "are my favorite ninja."

Ziva smiled lightly. She would never admit it, but she secretly liked it when he drew out the syllables in her name. "I was not aware you knew any other ninjas."

"Well, if I did, you would still be my favorite." Dinner was filled with pointless banter, the type expected between Tony and Ziva.

It was the night before Tony would be leaving for Afghanistan, and they had spent almost every minute together, as Tony was making the most of his ten day leave. He would go to NCIS every day and visit the team, and would leave with Ziva most of the time, sometimes Gibbs if it was a late night. After leaving, Tony and Ziva went to her apartment most of time, simply to watch movies and eat pizza. Sometimes they would go somewhere for dinner or to a bar with the team.

Ziva had even gone to Gibbs' house with Tony and ate with them and watched the new James Bond movie, _Quantum of Solace_. Of course, Gibbs had already retired to the basement with his boat and bourbon, so it was just Tony and Ziva watching the movie. When Gibbs came up from the basement to go to sleep, he found them asleep on the couch, Ziva's head on Tony's shoulders and his arm around her. Gibbs could have head slapped them into oblivion, but decided to let them sleep. He knew what Tony was going through and that he needed his friends for comfort.

"Wow, that was amazing," Tony gushed after finishing his meal. "I mean, I've never tasted anything so good in my life."

"Did you even have time to taste it? You dogged it down pretty quick." Ziva asked, still having half her meal on her plate.

Tony had to think for a moment, slightly confused at what she meant. "Wolfed it down, you mean," he said once realization dawned on him.

"Wolf, dog, it does not matter." She brushed off her mistake with a wave of the hand.

"Oh, but it does."

They continued with more playful banter while Tony cleaned off the table and Ziva did the dishes. They found themselves on the couch, Tony with a beer, Ziva a glass of wine.

"So…I'm leaving tomorrow." Tony was the first one to bring up the taboo subject they had been avoiding all night.

"You are." Ziva looked straight ahead to the blank beige wall in front of her so she wouldn't have to look at Tony.

"You know that you are my emergency next of kin and power of attorney, right?"

Ziva thought that was an odd question, since they went over that when he had it changed. "Yes, as you are mine."

Tony thought about his words carefully. "Well, if anything happens to me while I'm gone, you'll be the first to know."

"Oh," was all Ziva could manage to reply.

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, Ziva swishing around the wine in her glass, Tony tapping his foot on the coffee table in front of the couch. Finally Tony couldn't take the overbearing silence anymore. "I'm gonna miss you, you know that right?"

"Yes. I will as well," was her stony answer. She was still looking straight ahead, away from Tony.

"Ziva, look at me." Tony grabbed her forearm and turned her so she was looking at him. When Ziva opened her eyes, he could see her eyes glistening with a few unshed tears. She blinked them away quickly.

"What?" Ziva asked sharply. Her eyes were threatening to water over, and she would not cry in front of anyone. Gibbs and her mother had been the only two people to ever see her cry, and she was not about to add Tony to that list.

"What's wrong Zi?" Tony gently ran his hand up and down her arm with his feather-light tough.

She couldn't tell him that she was upset because her best friend, the man she secretly loved, was leaving to go fight in a war halfway across the country and that she didn't know if he would return healthy, or at all. She resorted to her normal answer when she didn't want people to know how she truly felt. "Nothing. I am fine."

Tony sighed deeply. "No, you're not. You always say you're fine, but you have that look on your face that I know you're not fine."

They looked deep into each other's eyes, lost in the depths of the emotion hiding behind them. "I care about you Tony, and I am worried that something may happen to you while you are in Afghanistan," Ziva said quietly, turning her gaze down away from him.

"Oh, Zi." Tony wrapped his arms around her tightly, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He had never seen her like this before and it was killing him. "I'm not going to tell you I'll be fine, because you more than anyone knows what could happen. I will tell you though that I'll try my damndest to not let anything happen to me. Okay?" He felt her nod her head against his chest. "And Ziva?" She looked up at him as he spoke. "I care about you too. That's why while I'm gone, I need you to take care of yourself. Don't take this too tough, alright?"

"Okay," Ziva nodded, and then collapsed into Tony's embrace again.

Ten minutes later, Tony could tell she was asleep, due to her deep breathing and light snores. He picked her up and carried her to her bed, dragging the covers down carefully without dropping her. He placed her gently on the bed and saw that she was still in her jeans and button down shirt. Cautiously he unbuttoned her shirt, leaving her in just the white cami that was under it, his dog tags hanging against it. He picked them up with his fingers and looked at them, dropping them a few seconds later. He went through her drawers and smiled when he found one of his old shirts on top of everything. He took that shirt out and a pair of shorts for her to sleep in. He pulled the shirt over her head, careful not to wake her up, and then gulped when he realized he had to take her pants off. Doing his best to not look, even though he wanted to, he unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off her legs, replacing them with the red plaid pajama shorts. Guiltily, he stole a glance at her panties, and saw that they were lacy red and blushed.

Just as Tony was about to lean down and place a light kiss on her forehead, Ziva stirred awake. She looked around her room, confused. "How long have I been asleep in here? I thought I fell asleep on the couch."

"Oh, um, you did," Tony stuttered. "Like twenty minutes ago, but I brought you here, 'cause you know the couch isn't that comfortable."

"Oh. Well, thank you." She looked down, and then back up at him with a playful smile gracing her lips. "Why did you change my clothes?"

His eyes widened, nervous that she would pull one of her ninja tricks on him and kill him with a paperclip. "Uh, well, your jeans didn't look that comfortable, so I uh…"

"Tony," she cut him off, chuckling softly to herself. "I am not mad. I am actually quite proud of you that you could get a girl out of her clothes without having sex with her."

"Hey! I don't always have sex on the brain!"

This time she laughed out loud. "Just ninety percent of the time."

He looked at her, and suddenly became more serious. "Do you want me to, um, stay?"

Ziva, who had been lying in bed, sat straight up. "Don't you have to go back to Gibbs' house? All your stuff you need for tomorrow is there."

"Actually, it's all in my car, which is here. Even my uniform." Ziva gave him a questioning glare. "We packed it all today so we wouldn't have to tomorrow morning," answering the unasked question.

"Well, it is rather late, and you are probably too tired to drive." Tony nodded in agreement. "And I would like you to stay, if you do not mind."

"I don't mind at all." They lapsed into another awkward silence, which was rare for them. "I'm just gonna go find and extra blanket, then go sleep on the couch."

"Tony, I am not going to ask you to stay and make you sleep on the couch, which you already said was uncomfortable. We are two adults, we can share a bed."

"Well, if you really wanna get me in bed, all you gotta do…" He was cut off by a punch to the gut. "Oww that really hurt."

"Deal with it. No are you gonna stay or not," Ziva sighed, exasperated.

"Yeah I'll stay. Do you have any pajamas for me or anything?"

"Top drawer, to the left. There is another one of your old shirts you left here after you had that run in with the dog." Ziva started laughing at the memory of Tony chasing a suspect, then being tackled and slobbered on by a dog in an alley.

Tony gave her one of his death glares that he normally saved for McGee. "Don't even get me started. That thing was a beast!"

"For God's sake Tony, it was a poodle!"

"A vicious poodle!" Tony finished changing and climbed into the other side of the bed. They were both lying on their backs, Tony with his hands linked above his head. Inconspicuously, Tony stretched his arms out, letting one drape over Ziva's shoulders. Soon they were both sound asleep.

------

At 0600 the next morning, Ziva was awoken by the blaring of an alarm clock. She tried to move her arm to turn off the noise, but found that she was engulfed by two strong arms and pressed against a warm body. Her eyes flew open to see Tony, still peacefully sleeping.

Carefully, Ziva removed her arm from Tony's embrace to turn off the alarm clock, and then returned to her previous position. Sometime during the night, Tony had wrapped his arm around Ziva, while she was using his chest as a pillow for her head. Her arm was slung over his abdomen and their legs were tangled together.

Ziva stayed awake for a few moments, simply resting her head on Tony's chest until she felt him stir in his sleep. She looked up at him just as he opened his eyes. "Well this is a great way to wake up. Good morning, sweet cheeks," he said as he stretched his arms, returning them to their place around Ziva.

"_Boker Tov_, my hairy butt." She shifted out of his embrace and got out of the bed, leaving Tony hugging a cold spot where her warm body used to lie.

"Where are you going?" Tony was disappointed that Ziva wasn't in bed with him anymore.

"To get ready. We have to leave soon if you want to get there on time," she called over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom. The awkwardness they thought would come with waking up in the same bed was virtually nonexistent.

An hour later, both Tony and Ziva had taken their showers and eaten, and they were only waiting for Tony to finish dressing in his uniform before they headed to Quantico. When Tony walked out of the bedroom in his grey desert utility uniform, Ziva felt her breath catch. Everything was setting in, and Tony being in his Marine uniform made Ziva realize that she wasn't dreaming, and that Tony was actually leaving. "What? Is there something in my teeth or something?" He began checking his teeth self consciously because of her staring.

"No, it is just that…"

She was cut off by Tony. "I know, I look incredibly sexy. No need to remind me."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Yes Tony, that is exactly it. Come on, we have to leave."

They arrived at Quantico at the same time as the rest of team, including Ducky and Palmer, all waiting to say goodbye to their beloved Tony.

"Nice of you to come home last night DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he helped Tony get his stuff out of the trunk of his car.

Tony's face visibly paled. He didn't want Gibbs thinking he and Ziva had broken rule twelve, even when they technically hadn't. "Oh, uh, sorry boss. I, uh…"

"He fell asleep on my couch during the movie last night. It was late when dinner was finished," Ziva said, saving Tony from having to think of an excuse. He looked at Ziva, who simply nodded back.

Half an hour later, it was time for Tony to leave. "Goodbye, Anthony. Stay safe, my dear boy," Ducky said, being the first to say goodbye.

"Thanks Ducky, I will. I'll see you later. You too Palmer." He gave Palmer a slap on the back, who simply nodded in goodbye.

"McGee!" Tony walked up to McGee, giving him a small hug. "I'm gonna miss you, McProbious. Watch out for them, keep 'em safe senior field agent." He leaned in closer to McGee. "Especially Abby, and Ziva."

McGee pulled away. "I will. I'm gonna miss you too Tony. Take care of yourself."

Tony looked over to Abby and saw that her eyes were filled with tears. "Abby, come here."

She came up running to Tony, engulfing him in a bear hug. By now the tears were flowing freely. "I'm gonna miss you so much Tony. You have to stay safe."

"I will. I'll miss you too Abby. Don't worry about me too much, okay?" She gave him a nod before hugging him tighter, then releasing him.

Tony said his goodbyes to Gibbs next. He was about to shake his hand until Gibbs gave him a hug. "You keep safe Private, you hear me? I don't want my best agent not coming back. It's gonna be hell, but I know you can do it."

"I will Gunny. Goodbye." They nodded at each other before Tony turned away, facing the last one to say goodbye to, Ziva.

"Tony," Ziva said as he pulled her into his embrace, holding her tight against him, her holding him just as tightly. "I am going to miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Zi. I'll miss you the most out of anybody. I'll be back though, before you know it." He felt her nod into his chest, and he buried his head in her hair. He placed his hand gently on her chin and lifted her head so she was looking him in the eyes. He could see the tears threatening to fall from here eyes, until a single tear escaped. "Don't cry, you can't cry." He wiped away the tear with his thumb. "If you cry, then I'll start crying, and that wouldn't be very good."

They both laughed lightly. "I was not crying," Ziva said defiantly. "Promise me you will not do anything dumb."

"I won't, you have my word." He pulled her into another tight hug for a few moments before releasing her and looking her in the eyes. "Goodbye, Sweet Cheeks."

"Shalom, _ahuvi sheli_," Ziva said softly as he walked away.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled, causing Tony to turn around. "Semper Fi."

**Boker Tov – Good Morning**

**Ahuvi sheli – my love**

**And you all thought I was gonna have Tony and Ziva get together before he left for Afghanistan, didn't you? I was contemplating it, but it seemed too cliché. Even without that, this chapter still has some cliché Tiva moments, so you should be happy. As for next update, it won't be until at least next week, I'm sorry ): Hopefully though, your reviews will motivate me to write quicker.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review (:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, here's the newest chapter. Sorry about the wait. School started today (ugh), and I can already tell that junior year is going to be the death of me. Also, I babysit every day after school except Tuesdays and Fridays until 5. Hopefully the next chapter will be quicker though. Thank you for the reviews for the past chapter. I didn't get as many as I usually get, however, so that made me sad ): **

**Enjoy (:**

**Chapter Eight**

_Washington, D.C._

Ziva carefully crept through the front door, even though she knew the door was never locked. She walked stealthily through the first level of the house, towards the open basement door. She slid through the opening and walked down a few stairs to the basement that held many bad memories. The last time she had been down there, Tony was being accused of murder. The time before, it had been her being accused. And the first ever time, she had killed her own flesh and blood, to save a man and a team she hardly knew.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to show up."

She sighed, knowing that sneaking up on Gibbs would never work. She walked down the rest of the stairs and sat down on a bench next to Gibbs' boat. He dumped the screws out of a jar and poured some bourbon in it, handing it to her, and she took a large sip. "How did you…never mind." She knew that Gibbs would be expecting her.

"It's been three days since DiNozzo left. It's about time you start missing him." He didn't look up from the boat he was currently sanding.

Ziva sighed again. "I've missed him since the moment he left." She took another long swig, letting the alcohol burn down her throat. "He was my partner, he still is. It is expected that I miss him."

This time Gibbs looked up at Ziva. "Ziver, I know he is more than a partner to you."

"He is my best friend, Gibbs. I care about him. And I am worried about him. Tony is not made to be a killer in a war." Instead of refilling her jar or bourbon, she simply drank directly from the bottle.

Gibbs dropped his tools and sat down next to Ziva, putting an arm around her. "I know that, you know that, everyone knows that. And when he comes back, he's gonna be different."

"I know that he will be different. Combat changes people." Ziva knew that all too well, having seen it in her time with Mossad.

"You and I both do, but not everyone does. He's gonna have questions he doesn't want to answer, and he'll need a friend to talk to about what happened."

"He is going to need you and me more than ever." Gibbs nodded in response before getting up and walking over to the boat and picking up the sander, throwing it to Ziva before starting up the stairs. As she started working on the wood, Gibbs turned back around. "Remember, with the grain," he called down to her before closing the basement door behind him.

Ziva stayed in the basement for a half hour more. Sometimes she would sand the boat, but most of the time she just laid down on the bench, thinking or drinking more bourbon. When she was done, she crept back up the stairs and into Gibbs' spare bedroom, too tired and too drunk to drive home. When she got in there, she noticed all the boxes with Tony's stuff in them in the room. She went through them and found a pair of his boxers and an old Baltimore PD shirt and put them on, falling asleep on the bed five minutes after lying down.

Around midnight, Gibbs walked passed his spare room and saw a lump on the bed. He walked over carefully, only to see Ziva, sleeping in Tony's old clothes. He chuckled lightly to himself and kissed her lightly on the forehead before retiring to his bedroom.

------

The next few days at NCIS were slow, with no cases to be solved. After finishing her paperwork or looking over cold case files, Ziva would visit with Abby most of the time. The two women had tried pulling pranks on McGee, like super gluing him to his computer mouse, but it just wasn't the same without Tony. In the week since Tony had left, Ziva, McGee, and Abby had been quieter than usual, while Gibbs had been more irritable.

While trying to stay focused while going over a cold case, Ziva's desk phone started to ring.

"David," she answered, happy for the distraction.

"Officer David, it is Cynthia. You have a call coming in from MTAC, and you are needed up there immediately."

"Did they say who they are?" Ziva hoped it wasn't her father or someone else Mossad related.

"Yes, but they told me not to tell you."

Ziva sighed. "Thank you Cynthia. I will be there momentarily."

She got off the phone and started walking up the stairs towards MTAC, earning a questioning glare from Gibbs, McGee, and Brown. "Where are you going, David?" asked Gibbs.

"I have a call in MTAC," was all she said before walking into MTAC, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she walked in, one of the techs started talking. "Officer David is here, connect with Bagram."

"Bagram? As in Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan?" The tech nodded in response. Ziva instantly perked up, knowing that the only person in Afghanistan who would want to talk to her was Tony.

A few moments later, the screen changed from the colored bars to Tony's face, and Ziva couldn't help but smile. She studied his face more and frowned slightly, but quickly smiled again. He had scruff around his face, his short hair looked unwashed, and he had black circles under his eyes.

"Zee-vah!" Tony exclaimed, a smile on his face. Even though he was excited, she could hear the fatigue in his voice.

Ziva couldn't help the fact that hearing his voice and seeing his face after a week made her feel giddy inside. "Shalom Tony. How did you manage this?"

She noticed his sheepish smile. "Let's just say I pulled a few strings, using my NCIS connections."

Ziva shook her head slightly. "Do you want to see the rest of the team?" Ziva knew that everyone, especially Abby, would be extremely upset if they didn't get to talk to Tony.

"I told Cynthia to call them in five minutes. I just wanted to talk to you first, sweet cheeks," he said, giving her his signature DiNozzo smile.

Again, Ziva felt the butterflies in her stomach when Tony smiled at her. "Thank you, my little furry bear. How are you doing?"

"I'll be honest, I'm still getting used to it. I barely get any sleep, sometimes none at all. We haven't had to engage in any fighting yet, but there was a suicide bomb a few days ago, not far from where we are. Three innocent kids died. That was tough, seeing that." He rubbed his hand over his face, sighing.

Ziva was all too used to suicide bombs from growing up in Tel Aviv. "I know. I am still affected by them, even after growing up around it. I could say you get used to it, but you do not."

"Yeah, I know. There are guys here who this is their third tour and they say it's a common thing." He sighed again and ran his fingers through his short hair. "So, enough about me. How are you doing back in D.C.?" he asked, and then smiled. "I miss you all so much."

Ziva smiled in return. She couldn't get enough of seeing Tony. "We all miss you too. There is not as much fooling around," she said questioningly, and Tony nodded, saying she got the idiom right, "as there was before you left. Agent Brown does not talk much, but when he does it is mostly complaining. He is, how do you say, a damp blanket."

"Wet blanket," he corrected automatically, laughing lightly. "Zi, I've only been gone a week and you're already reverting. I gotta get back there soon. Hopefully Palmer or McGee don't pass you on the coolness scale."

"Yes, you do need to get back soon," Ziva said. They looked at each other through the screens, locking eyes for a few moments until Tony turned away slightly.

"So, you say everyone misses me, but how do you feel?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrows at Ziva.

Ziva paused, choosing her words carefully. "I miss you a great deal, and I am worried about you. I care about you, it is expected that I worry."

"I care about you too, Ziva." Ziva gazed into Tony's emerald eyes, seeing the hurt and emotion that had replaced the playfulness that used to be there.

He opened his mouth to speak again when the door to MTAC opened again. Ziva turned around to see Team Gibbs, led by Abby, rushing through the doors.

"Oh my God, Tony I miss you so much! How is Afghanistan? Is it awful there?" Abby nearly jumped into the screen, so excited to see Tony.

Tony just chuckled. "I miss you too Abby. I miss you all. Yeah, it's pretty bad here. It's hot as hell." He left out the other details he had told Ziva, mostly for Abby's sake. "Probie Senior, how's it going? How is Probie Junior doing?"

"He's fine Tony. Actually does some work." Tony just snorted at that. "He doesn't say much though. I'm not gonna lie, I miss your joking around sometimes."

"I knew it!" Tony exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air in an act of defeat. "I knew someone appreciated my joking!"

"Don't get too used to it, Private. He's just saying that 'cause he misses you." Gibbs stepped out from where he was standing behind the rest of the team.

"Don't you miss me too, Boss? I know I miss you, with all your head slaps and popping up outta nowhere."

Before Gibbs could respond, the doors to MTAC opened again, and the team turned around to see Vance storming down the stairs. "What is going on in here? I come down here to talk to SecNav and Cynthia tells me that I can't because you," he said, pointing to Ziva, "have a call. Mind explaining this, Officer David?"

"Director Vance," Ziva started, but was cut off by Tony.

"Director, it's my fault. I'm the one who requested the call. Ziva didn't even know about it until I popped up on the screen. I'm sorry." Ziva eyed him questioningly, while he just nodded at her, as if telling her to go along with it.

"Since you technically aren't my agent anymore, I can't discipline you. However, next time you wanna talk to anyone, just use the webcams on their computers." Tony nodded in response. "I'll give you all a minute to say goodbye. Take care, Private DiNozzo. Stay safe."

"Thank you, Director Vance." Vance nodded before exiting MTAC. "I had to go soon anyways. One of the other guys wants to call his fiancé. I'll talk to you guys soon though, don't worry."

"Goodbye, Tony," the team said in almost perfect unison.

"Shalom, my hairy butt," added Ziva.

"Tell Ducky and Palmer I said hello. Goodbye guys. Bye, sweet cheeks." He waved before feed disconnected. Gibbs glared at Ziva, who just shrugged her shoulders at his look.

Abby sighed deeply, already missing Tony again. The team headed out of MTAC, greeted by Vance at the door. "Officer David, I would like to see you in my office after I speak with SecNav. I'll meet you in there."

Ziva waiting for twenty minutes, talking casually with Cynthia until Vance appeared. He motioned for her to follow him, so she got up and walked into the office, closing the door behind her. "Officer David, thank you for meeting with me."

"What is this about, Director Vance?" Ziva was always uncomfortable with meeting with Vance, since the first time she had the team had been split up.

"I wanted to know how the team is holding up without DiNozzo. I know he was the liveliest of all of you," he said, trying to find the right word to describe Tony.

"We are doing fine. McGee is doing well as the senior field agent, and Brown is proficient at his job as well." She left out the part where all he did was complain. "We are still solving cases like we did before Tony left."

Vance nodded his head. "How are _you _doing? I know DiNozzo was your partner, and that you two were closer than normal partners."

Ziva thought for a moment. "I am doing alright. I would much rather have Tony here to be my partner and have my back in the field, but McGee and Gibbs are still here, and I trust them." She conveniently left out the part about being upset that her best friend wasn't with her, knowing that Vance would most likely take it the wrong way.

Vance studied her for a moment, seeing if he could get any more information out of her. When he failed, he dismissed her. "That will be all, Officer David, you can get back to work. Thank you for your time."

She exited the office and went back down to the bullpen, sitting at her desk. "What did Vance want?" McGee asked.

Ziva sighed. "He wanted to know how we were doing without Tony." Smart enough to not ask anymore questions, McGee simply nodded and returned to computer.

Ziva looked down, and noticed the dog tags hanging from her neck. She held them in her hand, studying them carefully. "You will be back soon," she whispered quietly to herself before returning to her work.

**There you go, I hope you enjoyed it. Now I have to go do laundry and U.S. History and American Literature homework. ****Thanks for reading. Please review, they make my day and help motivate me (:**

**P.S.: A few hours after I posted this, I realized I accidentally posted the eighth chapter of Casual, instead of this story. I'm sooooo sorry ): This chapter is the correct one. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Firstly, I want to say how sorry I am. A few hours after I posted the previous chapter of this story, Chapter Eight, I realized that I accidentally posted chapter eight of **_**Casual**_**. I'm so, so, so sorry ): I fixed it a few hours later, and if you haven't already, go and read the correct chapter. Thank you for all the kind reviews telling me how I screwed up, and then the ones about the actual Chapter Eight of this story. They really do mean a lot to me and they make my day when I see them in my inbox.**

**I wasn't planning on posting this today, but I got good news: I'm getting my braces off next week (: To celebrate, I decided to post early.**

**Please enjoy (:**

**Chapter Nine**

_Bagram, Afghanistan_

Private Anthony DiNozzo lay down in his makeshift bed, exhausted from the previous few days. There had been an attack on the U.S. military base in Bagram two days ago, and nobody in Tony's unit had gotten any sleep since. He had been in Afghanistan for three months, and this was one of the few times he had been in combat. Most of the time, the men in his unit patrolled the streets, trying to keep order.

Tony was friendly with all the men in his unit, but he was closest with Trevor, Greg, and two other men, Privates Daniel Martins and Robert Beck. Dan was young, only twenty three, with a wife and two kids back home in Washington, D.C. He had joined the Marines Corps Reserve right out of high school. Robert had black hair and dark green eyes, which contrasted against his dark skin. He was like Tony in his ways with women, saying that he was only twenty five and shouldn't have to settle down yet.

Tony put his hands under his pillow, searching for something. He let out a sigh of relief when he found it, pulling the stack well worn papers from under his bed. He unfolded the first, the picture of Ziva from L.A. Since the video conference almost three months ago, the picture was the only way he got to see her. The rest were letters Ziva and the rest of the team had sent. In the three months he had been gone, Tony received a stack of letters an inch thick, while he had sent almost as many. He had received letters from everyone, even one from Gibbs. He looked at the pile and read the letter on top, the most recent from Ziva, which he had gotten three days ago.

_My dearest Tony,_

_I miss you. I am not going to sugar coat it, as you say, and say that I am doing fine. I am not. My partner, my best friend, is no longer here, but off fighting a dangerous war halfway across the world. You've been gone for three months, and gone for at least three more. I want you back, playing jokes on McGee with me and watching my six. And I am not the only one who misses you. Do not tell him I said this, but McGee really looks up to you. If he does not know what to do, he will ask himself "What would Tony do?" Also, Abby has had her "Broom Tony" out since the first day you were gone. Gibbs even admitted that he wishes you were here. _

_I hope that you are doing well and that nothing will happen to you. I pray every night for you, and I cannot remember the last time I actually prayed regularly. I know that you are not enjoying your time there, but please, stay strong, and please come back soon._

_You're favorite Ninja,_

_Ziva _

Tony felt tears pricking his eyes after he finished reading the letter. Ziva opening up to him, seeming vulnerable, was too much for him to handle. Tony thought of the other letters; the ones that he had written, but never sent. He pulled out another pile from under his pillow and read through the unsent letters. They started a month after he got to Afghanistan, and he had written many since.

_Ziva,_

_I don't know how to say this, or if I even should be saying this, but here it goes. I love you. I love your crazy ninja skills, your laugh, your smile, and your beauty, everything about you. Screw Gibbs and his rule twelve. I, Anthony DiNozzo, love you, Ziva David. I wish I could be there to tell you in person. Being away from you for the past month had made me realize my true feelings for you. I've had them all along, but I never had the courage until now. I love you._

_With love,_

_Tony_

He read through them all. He had written two letters almost every day. One, which he would tell Ziva how much he loved her, and the second, which he would write to various team members, mostly Ziva. The second letter he wrote each day was the one he would actually send. At the beginning, the unsent letters were long, with Tony saying how much he loved her. As time went by, they got shorter.

_Sweet Cheeks,_

_I miss you. I'll be back soon. I love you._

_Ti amo,_

_Tony_

Soon, they only said one thing.

_Zi,_

_I love you._

_Tony_

Tony sighed deeply, wondering why he couldn't work up the courage to tell Ziva how he truly felt. _'I'll tell her when I get back. I can't take the coward's way out and tell her in a letter,_' he thought to himself. On nights where he slept deep enough to dream, and his dreams weren't filled with the destruction and terror war, he dreamt about Ziva. Some were him saying he loved her, or vice versa. Others were more risqué, involving Tony and Ziva in many imaginative positions.

He put the letters away, and wrote a letter to Ziva, which he would actually send.

_My Ninja,_

_I knew that McGee and Gibbs really liked me. And what do you mean "Broom Tony"? She never told me anything about that before. And just so you know, I pray every night too, even though it's been a while since I've even been to church. I pray for the men in my unit, that I'll come home safely soon, and I pray for protection for you and the team while I'm away. _

_It really kills me knowing that I can't be back in D.C. with everyone. I hate that you are so upset that I'm not there. I just found out that we have to stay here at least an extra month, making it seven months we'll be gone. Please, promise me that you won't cry over me being away. I know that you're strong, physically and emotionally, so it shouldn't be hard for you, but please, do not cry. I don't think I could take it if I knew that you had cried._

_Please, keep staying strong. I will be back._

_Tony_

Again, Tony sighed deeply before putting the letter in an envelope so he could send it in the morning. He put the envelope under his pillow and fell into his first deep sleep in a few weeks.

Tony was awoken a few hours later in the early morning. He got dressed at walked over to his platoon sergeant. Staff Sergeant Manuel Garza had olive skin and dark brown hair, with dark brown eyes. He had been in the Corp for thirteen years, this being his second tour in Afghanistan.

"Staff Sergeant Garza," Tony said as he found him.

"Private DiNozzo, you and Privates Bailey and Weatherton will be heading into Kabul today as patrol. You leave in fifteen minutes." Staff Sergeant Garza was all business, but was still a nice, relatable man.

"Yes, Staff Sergeant."

Half an hour later, Tony, along with Greg and Trevor were in a humvee, on the way to the city of Kabul. "Weatherton, how is Paige doing?" Tony asked, breaking the silence.

Trevor's blank, emotionless eyes brightened up at the mention of his fiancé back home. "She's doing alright. She just found out she's pregnant, about three months along. I'm gonna be a father."

"Congrats." Tony did the math in his head. "Three months…that means you knocked her up right before you left."

"Yeah, not exactly the best timing," Trevor said. Although he was happy to be a father, anyone could notice he wasn't happy that he couldn't be there for her.

"I know if I did that to Megan, she'd be extremely pissed at me. I'll be surprised if she doesn't rip your, um, ya know, off when you get home," Greg joked, hoping to lighten the mood. He received a punch in the arm from Trevor. "Seriously though, congrats man."

"Thanks," Trevor replied. "So DiNozzo, how's Ziva doing?"

Tony glared at Trevor. However, before he got the chance to answer, all three men heard a loud "BOOM," under them, followed by them being thrown violently from the humvee.

It took Tony a moment to feel the full effect of being thrown to the ground. He could tell that he had cracked a few ribs, and possibly had a broken arm. He looked around him, but could find no sign of Trevor or Greg. He looked to the humvee, and saw that they were both still in the burning vehicle.

As quickly as he could, Tony stood up and made his way over to the fiery humvee. He walked over to the back passenger side, where Trevor was. He was still conscious, but barely. "Weatherton, can you hear me?" He nodded slightly. "Okay, I'm gonna get you outta here."

After struggling for a few minutes, Tony freed Trevor from the scorching wreckage. He pulled him away from the car and lay him down on the ground carefully, then returned to try and free Greg, who had fallen unconscious. Tony was starting to feel slightly dizzy, and now feeling the pain fully. "Bailey, can you hear me?" He got no response. Trying carefully to not disturb Greg's head incase he had a head injury, and avoid the flames, he checked for a pulse. He felt around for a few minutes before finding a faint pulse on his neck. Tony looked at Greg's mangled body, knowing there was no safe way to free him. "Bailey, come on, you gotta hang on until help gets here. You gotta get home to Megan. Come on, man."

Tony stepped back from the engulfed ruins, collapsing to the ground. He tried to stay conscious, but it was a loosing battle, and he soon let darkness overtake his vision.

**Ooooh, cliff hanger! Hopefully I can have the next chapter up soon, within the week, but I've been bogged down with homework. My friends weren't lying when they said junior year was the hardest, and it's only two weeks in. It should be up soon, and your lovely reviews will help inspire me.**

**Thanks for reading, and please review (: **


	10. Chapter 10

**I know, I'm a horrible person for leaving you with a cliff hanger and not updating for a while. I'm so sorry ): I've been having difficulty with this story lately, but hopefully my muse will come back once Season Seven starts in less than a week (: I am actually quite pleased with this chapter, even if it does seem slightly OOC. Oh, and I'm also really happy because I got my braces off this morning!**

**I'd like to thank a few people who have reviewed a lot and made my day: diana teo, ranae-ultor, zats, debook210, trigun1509, NCISTivaFan30, Always a Marine, Jits, aldean10, and SpecialAgentAllie, just to name a few. Thank you all very much, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed.**

**Enjoy (:**

**Chapter Ten**

_Washington, D.C._

Ziva David sat at her desk, annoyed beyond belief at Brown's constant complaining. For the past week, team Gibbs had been working on a particularly tough case involving the death of a Navy Lieutenant and his wife. Even though they had been working for a week, they couldn't find any solid leads. She had already been on edge all week, not receiving any mail from Tony lately, which was not unusual, but he had promised to contact her via webcam in his last letter, which he hadn't. She knew he was most likely busy, but she couldn't shake the bad feeling she had. And to make matters worse, Agent Brown had been argumentative about having to do "probie work," and not being involved in the actual investigation.

Ziva looked to McGee and Gibbs, and shared a look of annoyance with him. As Brown opened his mouth, most likely to complain again, Ziva finally had enough and stood up. "Agent Brown, if you do not stop your insistent complaining, I will personally castrate you with this!" she yelled loud enough for the entire floor to hear her, holding a paperclip in her hand.

Everyone on the entire floor and the few people on the catwalk above them fell silent, staring at a fuming Ziva. She had fire in her eyes, and Agent Brown looked as if he were about to cry. "Are we clear now?" she hissed through gritted teeth, seething with anger.

Brown nodded weakly before getting up and walking away, most likely to the men's room. Gibbs looked around and saw that everybody was still staring at Ziva. "Nothing to see here people, get back to work."

Fearfully, McGee looked over to Ziva, and saw that she was now sitting and looking down at her hands. Deciding it was safe, he approached her cautiously. "Looks like Brown had the right idea in leaving." When he got no response, he crouched down to her level next to her desk. "Hey, are you okay?"

Ziva's gaze met his eyes, and he was bewildered by the sadness he saw in them. "I am fine. I have just been a bit irritated lately."

McGee understood, with the stress of the case and Tony being gone. "Everyone has been. Does this have anything to do with the fact that you miss Tony?" McGee knew he was treading in dangerous territory.

Her eyes briefly flashed with frustration, but then softened. Even though Ziva never talked with McGee as much as Tony or Abby, she knew she could open up to him without judgment. "A little bit. I have not received a letter from him for a week. He is most likely just busy though. It is just a gut feeling, yes?"

McGee nodded in response and stood up, hugging Ziva lightly. "You're not the only one who misses him. I do, Abby does, and even Gibbs admitted it once. Tony's one of those guys who you can't help but like, even if you wanna hate him." Ziva nodded in agreement, knowing all too well what McGee was saying. McGee seemed slightly nervous before continuing. "Uh, you know, you can always, uh, talk to me, or Abby, if you want."

Ziva smiled at McGee's good hearted nature. "I know. Thank you."

Just as McGee was about to walk back to his desk, the elevator doors opened, revealing a man in a Marines service uniform. He had blonde hair in a Marines regulation cut and brown eyes, and was easily as tall as Tony. He walked towards the bullpen.

"Is there a Miss Ziva David here?" he asked, pronouncing her last name the American way.

Ziva stood up and walked over to the man, McGee and Gibbs following. "It is pronounced Dah-veed."

"David," re repeated, pronouncing it correctly. "Miss David, this is for you, regarding Private DiNozzo." He handed her a letter, with her name on the envelope.

Ziva's heard immediately went into her throat. Her mind flashed back to what Tony had said the night before he left, about her being the first to know if something happened. She tore open the envelope and quickly pulled out the paper.

_Miss Ziva David,_

_Private Anthony DiNozzo has been injured in the line of duty. He is currently in a United States military hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan, and will be air lifted to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington, D.C. when he is stable. _

Ziva didn't comprehend any more of the letter before it fell from her hands and she felt her legs go weak. If McGee had not grabbed her by the arm, she would have collapsed. Gibbs picked up the letter and read it to himself, then handed it to McGee to read. They both had somber expressions on their faced and looked at Ziva, who was still in shock.

After a few moments, she finally spoke. "How….what happened?"

"He was injured in a road side bomb explosion four days ago. There were two others with him. Two were injured, one of them did not make it. According to the other Private who was injured, whose injuries were not as threatening, Private DiNozzo had been the least injured, but then he tried to save the other two men with him. He saved one, but the other did not make it," the man said solemnly, as if he had done this many times before, which he most likely had.

Ziva, unable to form anymore words, remained silent. Seeing this, Gibbs spoke up. "How badly injured?"

"Private DiNozzo suffered two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, first and second degree burns over parts of his arms, and head trauma. He is currently in a coma."

The tears that had been threatening to spill out of Ziva's eyes did, but she did not care. Her partner, best friend, man she secretly loved was in a coma halfway across the world in Afghanistan. She turned into a shocked McGee, who hugged her tightly and let her cry lightly on his shoulder. "Is he going to wake up?" asked Gibbs, the only one who seemed to be able to speak.

"As of yesterday, he was still in the coma, but the doctors are hopeful that he will recover." The Marine turned to Ziva, who was still being held by McGee. "I am sorry, Miss David. You will be informed if anything changes or when he is brought to Bethesda." He said his goodbyes and got on the elevator, leaving.

For the second time in fifteen minutes, all eyes were on team Gibbs. However, this time there were hushed murmurs, wondering what was happening.

Gibbs looked to Ziva and McGee, still embracing one another. Ziva was freely crying, tears flowing silently, not caring who saw her, and a few tears had fallen from McGee's eyes as well. Gibbs could feel the salty tears stinging his eyes, from the information he had just learned about his best agent and the sight in front of him. He put his arms around both McGee and Ziva, and the three held onto one another like a lifeline, not willing to let go.

They stayed together for what could have been five minutes or five hours, nobody knowing exactly how long, until a happy Abby and Ducky came up the elevator. She was skipping until she saw the scene in front of her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, immediately sensing there was a problem. Nobody responded, and the three investigators continued to console each other.

Ducky found the forgotten letter on the floor and read it silently to himself. "Oh dear." He passed the letter to Abby, who read only the first line and immediately burst into tears.

"Oh no, not Tony," she sobbed, throwing herself into Ducky's embrace. He then broke apart for only a moment, to join the other three. All five of them hung on to each other, each needing comfort.

"Anthony is a strong man. He will get through this," Ducky said, mostly to assure them, and slightly to assure himself.

"I didn't give him permission to die," Gibbs said. Nobody bothered to say anything else, for they didn't know what to say. They just stood there, in the middle of the bullpen with commotion all around them, holding each other and praying for their beloved team member.

------

_Bagram, Afghanistan_

The first thing Tony was aware of was that his left shoulder hurt, and the left side of his torso ached. He tried to open his eyes, but the light was too bright and his eyelids were too heavy. He heard a faint beeping in the background, and the smell of antiseptic filled his nose, leading him to believe he was most likely in a hospital. He opened his eyes a slat, adjusting them to the bright light before prying them all the way open. Sure enough, he was in a hospital, complete with sterile white walls and beeping machines.

"He's waking," he heard a feminine voice say. He tried to talk, but was stopped by something in his throat. He was becoming nervous and agitated, and the rapid beeping let everyone know. "Calm down, sir, we need to take out your breathing tube, and then you can talk."

After the tube was removed and he drank some water to sooth his sandpaper dry throat, Tony was finally able to talk. "Sir, do you know your name?" the female nurse in blue scrubs asked, coming into his line of sight. She looked to be in her mid twenties, with short brown hair and blue eyes than stood out against her olive skin.

"Anthony DiNozzo." His voice came out hoarse, and he took another sip of water.

After asking him a few more questions to make sure he didn't have any serious brain trauma or amnesia, the nurse seemed satisfied. "Okay, good. I'm going to get your doctor now and let him know that you've woken up," the nurse, whose name, Tony had learned, was Lieutenant Selena Lowell, said as she walked towards the door of his room.

"Wait," he called as loud as his gruff voice would allow him. Selena turned around before he continued. "What happened to me?"

"Your vehicle exploded in a road side bombing a week ago. You've been in a coma since," she said sympathetically.

"A week?!" he croaked, shocked that he had been out that long.

"I'll let the doctor explain the rest to you," Selena said before walking out the door.

Five minutes later, Selena returned, this time with a man. He appeared to be in his mid thirties with brown hair and brown eyes, nothing remarkable about him.

"Hello, Private DiNozzo. I am Commander Dr. Steven Randall. How are you feeling?" His voice had a calming nature to it.

"I've been better, but I've been worse. My left side is a bit achy, my arms hurt, and my head feels like it was run over by a truck." Tony wanted to laugh, but it hurt his side too much.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Tony thought for a moment, but came up empty. "I remember being in a humvee, and then everything is a blur."

The tall doctor seemed unfazed by this. "That is completely normal with trauma patients. It can be years after the initial trauma, but they never remember the actual incident. As Lieutenant Lowell already told you, you were in a coma for a week and just woke up. You have two broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder,"

Tony cut him off. "That would explain the achy side."

"And you have some first and second degree burns along your forearms. Apparently, you saved the life of a man in your unit getting those burns."

"So I was basically blown up?"

Dr. Randall nodded in response, the faintest line of a smile gracing his lips at Tony humorous attitude. "Basically, yes."

Tony was quiet for a moment, thinking to himself. Suddenly some flickers of memory came flooding back, and Tony remembered the explosion and being with Trevor and Greg. "How are the other men I was with? Privates Trevor Weatherton and Gregory Bailey?"

Commander Randall and Lieutenant Lowell shared a look. "Private Weatherton suffered a shattered tibia, but he will be okay. You're the more injured of the two. You saved his life by getting him out of that car."

Tony was growing impatient. "What about Greg?"

"Private DiNozzo," Lieutenant Lowell said softly, "Private Bailey didn't make it. I'm sorry."

Tony was speechless. Images of Greg, along with Kate, Paula, and Jenny filled his memory, reminding him of all the friends he had lost. No matter how many times it happened, it never got any easier for him. He felt responsible for all of their deaths. "Private DiNozzo? Are you okay?"

"Wh…what about his family? Has anyone told them, or Megan? His girlfriend, Megan,"

His rambling was cut off by Dr. Randall. "His family has been informed, and I am sure that they let his girlfriend know. You cannot get too worked up about this, it's not good for you. You have to stay calm."

"Yeah, okay." Tony could feel his heart beating faster, and they rhythmic beeping of the machine confirmed his suspicions.

"We are going to keep you here for the time being, until you are stable enough for travel. After that you will be air lifted to Bethesda in D.C."

At the mention of D.C., Tony immediately thought of Ziva and the team back home, causing his heart to beep faster again. "Was anyone back home notified of what happened?"

"Yes, your next of kin, a Miss Ziva David was notified," Dr. Randall replied, looking up the information from his records.

Tony sighed, relieved that Ziva had been notified. However, he was still worried about how she and the team were handling the news. "Can you tell her that I'm awake?"

Lieutenant Lowell spoke up again, almost forgotten in all that was going on. "I will call her myself."

"Thank you so much, Lieutenant."

"Please, Selena is fine." She smiled at him. She wasn't like most girls, trying to flirt with him. She was simply being friendly. Tony smiled back at her before she left, most likely on her way to calling Ziva, leaving Dr. Randall.

"Private DiNozzo, I am going to finish my rounds. I'll check up on you again later tonight. Get some rest. Even though you just woke up, you will still be tired."

"Thank you, Dr. Randall." They said their goodbyes and Dr. Randall left, leaving Tony alone with his thoughts. He was flooded with guilt over not being able to save Greg.

Losing the fight with himself, he closed his eyes, falling into a fitful sleep.

**I honestly don't know if you can castrate someone with a paperclip, but it so sounds like something Ziva would say. And like I said, the team may seem OOC, but you never know how someone would react when they find out a love one has been seriously injured. **

**I'm noticing a trend in that I always seem to hurt someone in my stories, most of the time Tony. Also, I don't know the specifics about what would happen when someone is injured during a tour, so I took a few liberties. What I do know is from the internet and the help of irishdancer476, so thanks to irishdancer476 and the people who wrote the stuff on the internet.**

**Thank you very much for reading, and please review (: **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you all so much for the reviews on the previous chapters. They really do mean a lot to me (: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! SEASON 7! But I won't be able to see it until tomorrow because I have dance tonight. Ugh ):**

**This chapter is much shorter than others I had previously written. I couldn't really find a good flow with it, and I'm not all that pleased with it either. **

**Enjoy (:**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Ziva walked into the squad room, seeing everyone dressed in their best black attire, grave expressions on their faces. She twisted the ring on her fourth digit around her finger. Gibbs came up to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's time."_

"_No, I still do not believe you. He promised he would be back."_

"_Ziver, he's not coming home now." _

_The ride to the church was silent, and she and the rest of the team were lead to the front pew, a sad song being played in the background. In the front by the altar was a mahogany casket. The priest was standing behind the pulpit._

"_Children of God, we are gathered here today not to mourn a death, but to celebrate a life. Anthony was a child of God. He was an honorable man, who lived and died to protect his country. He was a son, friend, husband, and good man. He has been returned to his rightly, heavenly home alongside God. He will never be forgotten."_

_They followed the procession to Arlington National Cemetery, and walked over to the grave. The casket was being lowered into the ground._

"_Mrs. DiNozzo," a man in uniform said to get her attention before handing her a folded up flag. She held onto the flag for dear life, as it was all she had left of him. The men lined up, starting the honorary twenty one gun salute. With each shot, she felt a bullet in her heart._

"_Ziva, Ziva, Ziva,"_

"_No, he will be back. He promised."_

"_ZIVA!"_

Ziva was awoken from her fitful, nightmare filled sleep by someone shaking her shoulder violently. She looked around, confused by her surroundings, before remembering that she had been staying at Gibbs' house. It had been three days since the team received the news of Tony being injured. Ziva had barely slept or eaten anything in those three days. After hearing about Tony, Vance had told the team to go home and had given their current case to another team, knowing they were too distracted to get any work done. Ziva had intended to go home, but when she got to her car all she could do was cry. She stayed like that for an hour before Gibbs found her and brought her to his house. Ziva had been thankful for Gibbs' kindness, and she knew she couldn't handle being alone.

"Sh. It's okay, just let it out." She hadn't realized she had been crying in her sleep. Gibbs put an arm around her, holding her against his side.

He let her sob silently for a few more minutes. "Do you wanna tell me what happened?"

Ziva sniffled before talking. "I had a dream. I," she paused, wiping more tears from her eyes before continuing. "I dreamed that I was DiNozzo's wife, and that he…he did not make it. It was his funeral, and they gave me the flag." Fresh tears fell from her red eyes. "It was stupid. I am just being weak."

Gibbs tightened his grip around her shoulders. "No you aren't. Your partner and best friend is fighting for his life over in Afghanistan. I may not show my emotions that much, but know that it is okay to be worried about it." Ziva wiped the tears from her eyes, no longer crying. "And I don't want you to tell me why you were married in your dream, even though I already know."

Ziva laughed, happy for the distraction. "Gibbs, I am being completely honest when I tell you Tony and I are nothing but friends."

He sighed. This was going to be hard for him, but Ziva needed to hear it. "I know that. But I know you, and I know DiNozzo, and if something was to happen, I wouldn't stop you two."

She was shocked. "Are you giving us permission to break rule twelve, if we so choose?"

"Ziver, you know why I made rule twelve?" She shook her head. "Because of what happened between Jenny and me. We got distracted by each other, and in the end we chose our jobs over each other. But you and DiNozzo aren't Jenny and I, and I don't want you to have to make that same decision. Just make sure I don't see anything." Ziva nodded happily. "For someone who isn't more than friends with DiNozzo, you sure seem happy about that."

"It is not often that you break one of your own rules." The younger and older agent laughed together.

A few minutes later, Ziva's cell phone rang. "I wonder who could be calling. It is 0100 in the morning." She was still perplexed, but she decided to answer anyway. "David."

"_Hello, is this a Miss Ziva David?"_ The voice on the other end was sweet and feminine.

"This is her. May I ask who is calling?"

"_This is Lieutenant Selena Lowell from the U.S. military hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan."_

Ziva felt her heart jump into her throat. "Is this about Tony, I mean Private DiNozzo?"

She heard what sounded like faint chuckling on the other end. _"Yes, it is. I am calling to inform you that the Private woke up about an hour ago."_

Ziva was relieved. She had thought the worst when she had been called directly about Tony. "He did? Is everything alright then, because you calling…"

Ziva was cut off by Selena. _"Everything is fine. Normally, we don't call the next of kin right away when someone wakes up, but Private DiNozzo insisted that we do."_

Ziva smirked, knowing that was something Tony would do. "That is Tony. Do you know what is going to happen next?"

"_When he is stable, he will be air lifted to Bethesda. You will be able to see him there."_

She sighed, knowing that soon Tony would be back in D.C., where he belonged. "Thank you very much, Lieutenant Lowell."

"_You're welcome, Miss David. Take care of the Private when he gets back to D.C. In the hour he's been up, he's been talking about you a lot." _

They said their good byes and hung up. Gibbs, who had been listening in throughout, finally asked what was going on. "Was that about DiNozzo?"

"Yes," she answered, the permanent smile on her face unfaltering. "He is awake, and in only an hour already charmed one of the nurses into getting his way."

Gibbs smiled, allowing himself to show that he was happy, which only happened very rarely. "That's DiNozzo for you."

"He will be airlifted to Bethesda when he is stable." Gibbs nodded, and the two sat in silence for a few moments. "I am going to call Abby. I know she would like to know that Tony is okay."

Again, Gibbs nodded. "She would be upset if no one told her. I'll call McGee."

Ziva dialed Abby's number, listening to the ringing until she picked up. _"Hello?" _She sounded slightly out of breath.

"Shalom Abby. It is Ziva."

"_Ziva? Do you know what time it is?"_

Ziva looked at the clock, and noted that it was 0115. "Yes," she answered simply.

"_This better be pretty important then. I just got home an hour ago and was trying…"_

Ziva cut off the babbling Goth on the other line. "It is about Tony."

She heard Abby gasp on the other end of the phone. _"Is he okay?"_

"He woke up from his coma an hour ago."

Ziva had to hold the phone a foot away from her ear when Abby squealed. _"Oh thank God! I knew he would make it, I just knew it. I had Sister Rosita and all the nuns pray for him, and no body defies Sister Rosita."_

Suddenly, Abby heard a male voice in the background yell, "Abby, did you hear about Tony?" loudly. He sounded strangely like McGee.

Ziva gasped. "Abby, who is at your house?"

"_Oh, um…no one,"_ she said sheepishly.

"Abby, I just heard a man's voice in the background, which happened to sound like McGee's voice, asking if you had heard about Tony."

She heard Abby sigh on the other line. _"Fine, you caught us. Timmy and I went out to a bar tonight and he brought me back to his house because I drank a little too much."_

Ziva doubted that very much. "Why do you sound so out of breath then?"

"Um…we were exercising? With our crazy schedules, 0100 is the only time when we can work out."

She rolled her eyes at the lame excuse. "You and McGee do not have to lie to me."

"Okay, you caught us. Just don't tell Gibbs, okay? You know how he can be when it comes to these types of things with rule twelve and all."

Ziva sent a knowing look in Gibbs' direction, who had been listening in during the entire conversation and he nodded. "I will keep it a secret for now. But you have to tell him eventually."

"I know. I'm just going to give him some time before telling him. You know, get him used to the idea before springing it on him."

"I will let you get back to your previous…activities," she said suggestively. "Lailah tov."

She hung up and turned to face Gibbs again. "Did I hear that correctly, David?" Ziva just nodded. "I knew that was coming."

"You do not have a problem with them being together?" She couldn't believe that twice tonight Gibbs had broken rule twelve.

He just shrugged. "I already let you and DiNozzo break rule twelve. I have to be fair."

**There you go. Enjoy tonight's premier for me, but please don't spoil anything until tomorrow. **

**Thanks for reading, and please review (:**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for not updating quicker *blocks flying food*. This past week and a half has been really tough on me. I've had projects and papers due and I've been busy with CCD retreats and work. **

**Two days ago my friend died in a drunken driving accident. She was only seventeen, two weeks away from her 18****th**** birthday. Everyone else in the car is fine, including the douche bag drunk driver, who will most likely go to jail. RIP A.M.R., this chapter is dedicated to you. Please, keep her in your prayers. Wear your seatbelts and don't drink and drive. **

**Chapter Twelve**

The next week, Team Gibbs, along with Ducky and Palmer, were at Bethesda. They had been waiting for this day all week. The day that Tony was coming home. Technically, it wasn't his home, but he was in D.C. He was scheduled to arrive around 1200 by a C-130, but the entire team had been there by 1030. "Just in case they get there early," Abby had said when Ziva and Gibbs walked in at 1015 to see her and McGee already there.

At 1230, a doctor in a white coat came into the waiting room. "Family of Private Anthony DiNozzo?"

"That is us." Ziva sat up and led the team towards the doctor. "I am listed as his next of kin and power of attorney."

The doctor searched through the papers in his hands. "Miss Ziva David?" he questioned and she nodded in conformation. "I'm Doctor Jason Curtis." He shook hands with the team as they introduced themselves. "As you know, Private DiNozzo woke up a week ago, and he just landed here about an hour ago. He's been stabilized and set up in a regular hospital room."

"Is he okay?" Abby asked.

"His broken ribs are healing well, as is his dislocated shoulder. His burns healed remarkably fast, and according to the CT scan there is no permanent trauma to his brain. He should be able to be discharged within three or four days, as long as he wears a sling and doesn't over exert himself."

The team was satisfied that Tony was okay. However, McGee, Ziva, and Gibbs were all thinking the same thing. "Will he have to go back?"

"Because he was in a coma that means that there was brain trauma, and even though it was not permanent, it was still there. So, no, he will not be deployed again."

Everyone smiled, happy that Tony was home for good and that there was no permanent damage. "However, the doctor in Bagram, Commander Dr. Randall, noted that Private DiNozzo seemed to be upset with the fact that a man in his unit was killed. Apparently they were quite close. If any of you notice anything peculiar, please let me know. We can have him evaluated by a psychologist for symptoms of PTSD."

They left after that, all heading towards Tony's room before Gibbs stopped them. "Ducky, Palmer, you two go first. Then Abby and McGee can go. David and I will go last."

Ziva, who was anxious to see Tony, was mad at first that she couldn't see him right away, but she understood Gibbs' reasoning. However, Abby did not.

"Why can't we all go at once?"

"He just got back from Afghanistan. We need to get him used to the idea of being home."

"But why do Ducky and Palmer get to go first?" she whined.

"Because I said so. Now come on, let's wait for Ducky and Palmer over here." He ushered the rest of the team towards the waiting room while Ducky and Palmer visited Tony.

Fifteen minutes later, the two medical examiners emerged, and Abby practically ran to Tony's room, followed some steps behind by McGee. They entered the room and saw Tony lying in his hospital bed. "Hey Abby, McGee."

Abby fidgeted nervously. "Can I hug you?"

"Just don't hug my left side."

Before he could finish, Abby was running towards him, hugging his right side tightly. "I missed you so much Tony."

"I missed you too Abby. I missed everyone, even McGee over there."

Abby stopped hugging him and turned to McGee. "McGee, say something," she demanded.

He stepped forward and hugged Tony lightly. "I missed you too Tony. We all did."

They sat down in chairs on opposite sides of Tony's bed. "So, what happened while I was gone?"

The three spent the next half hour catching up, talking about unusual NCIS cases or sports, but they never talked about Tony's time in Afghanistan. Abby had tried once to get him to talk, but Tony quickly avoided the question.

"No offense, but where's Ziva. I want to see her and Gibbs."

Abby smiled. "Of course you do. We'll go get them." They said goodbye, with promises of later visits before heading towards the waiting room.

Ziva was surprised when she saw them come out only half an hour after they went in. "You're done already? I thought you would have wanted to see him longer."

Abby laughed. "He said, and I quote, 'Where's Ziva? I want to see her and Gibbs.' Now you can't deny it no matter what."

Ziva thought back to there many conversations where Abby had insisted that Tony loved her and that she loved him back and sighed. "Abby, I have not seen him in three months. I am his best friend. Of course he will want to see me."

"Whatever, go see your man."

Ziva and Gibbs made their way to Tony's room, but Ziva stopped right outside the door. "Are you okay?" Gibbs asked when he nearly walked into her.

"Yes. I just need a moment to prepare."

"I understand." They stayed for a minute longer before Ziva opened the door, leading the way in.

They walked in and saw Tony lying on the bed. His skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes, along with faint bruises over his face and upper body. The slight scarring on his forearms from the burns could be seen, and his left arm was in a sling. "Tony," Ziva gasped.

Tony smiled his first real smile in over three months. "Ziva, come here."

She strode to his bedside quickly, where he engulfed her in a tight one armed hug, which she returned happily. She could tell from the slight wince on his face that he was hurting, but neither of them cared. "I missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.

"I missed you as well, _ahuvi_," Ziva murmured.

Tony pulled back. "You know I hate it when you start talking in Hebrew and I have no idea what you're saying."

"You know that it is Hebrew. That is a start."

Ziva sat down in the chair by his bedside, holding his hand lightly. For the first time, Tony noticed Gibbs standing in the door way. "Gunny."

"Private. You look like hell." He moved from the doorway to stand next to Tony's bed, eyeing his and Ziva's intertwined fingers.

"You should've seen me when I woke up. I looked like crap."

For the next half hour, they talked about current events and NCIS cases, only touching briefly on the war. "I'm going to go get coffee," Gibbs announced, leaving Tony and Ziva alone.

"I'm sorry," Tony said, squeezing Ziva's hand.

She thought for a moment, wondering what Tony had done wrong in the past half hour. "For what?"

"For getting hurt and doing something stupid."

Ziva sighed, understanding immediately what Tony was referring to. "Tony, it is not your fault you were blown up. And you did nothing stupid. You saved a member of your unit because of your actions."

Tony looked down. He knew that he did a good thing by saving Trevor, but inside he was beating himself up that he hadn't saved Greg. "I could have saved him."

"Could have saved who?"

"Greg. Private Bailey. If I had acted quicker, he would still be alive right now. I mean, he had a girlfriend and family back home."

Ziva squeezed his hand tighter, letting him know she was there for him. "It would not have mattered how quickly you acted. Private Bailey had died almost instantly."

"How do you know? You weren't there," he spat.

She understood his anger. "You are right, I was not there. But I know you tried to save him. And even if Private Bailey had lived and you had saved him, it most likely would have been at the cost of your own life. You would not be here today, with me, with the rest of the team."

"Then I would have died fighting for my country!" he exclaimed. "Sometimes I wish it had been me."

"Do not say that," Ziva warned. She could not image what would happen if Tony had died. "You do not mean that and you know it."

"Damn it Ziva, you know what it's like to have bombs being blown up all around you, people dying every day. You know how much it eats away at you, piece by piece. It was hard to keep myself going, but I did. I kept going for you, Zi. I did it for you."

Ziva brought up her free hand to cup his face, stroking his cheek. She didn't know what to say to Tony's admission. Thankfully, he kept talking. "I knew that you would never forgive me if I gave up, or if I never came back. I couldn't just leave you."

"Tony…" Ziva started, but was interrupted.

"But you know what? Trevor and Greg helped me realize something while I was in Afghanistan. I should tell my best friend how I truly feel, because I may never get another chance. Heck, I almost never had this chance. Ziva, I…I care about you. A lot." He hoped she understood the meaning behind his words.

However, luck was not on his side. "I know that. You have told me before."

"No, like I really care about you. God, Zi, I love you."

Tony felt as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders when he finally admitted his feelings after almost four years. However, Ziva was baffled. "You what?"

This time, Tony said it with more confidence and conviction, looking directly into her eyes. "I should have told you a long time ago. I love you Ziva."

Ziva was silent, not knowing how to respond. "Say something!" Tony demanded.

"Why?" was the only thing Ziva could think of.

"Why?" Tony asked, to which Ziva nodded. "You're beautiful, talented, a kick ass Mossad ninja, I trust you with my life, I could keep going if you want. It's something I feel in my heart. I've felt it for a while. It hasn't gone away, and it never will."

She was silent again, processing all this new information. Although part of her was a bit skeptical of his admission, Ziva could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. And she was elated. "Oh Tony," she smiled as she brought her free hand to cup his cheek. She leaned up and placed a light kiss against his forehead.

"Was that an 'Oh Tony I love you too,' or an 'Oh Tony you're a pig get away from me'?"

Ziva gave Tony a devilish grin before lowering her lips to his, which he responded to eagerly. This kiss was not like the one they had shared while undercover. That one had been full of lust and tension, while also keeping a cover. This one, however, was gentle and made of love and care. His warm mouth surrounded her soft lips in a slow, compassionate manner, driving both of them crazy. It only lasted a few seconds, but they both felt fireworks exploding through their bodies. When they broke apart, Ziva looked directly into Tony's emerald orbs. "I love you."

They were about to kiss again when they heard the door to Tony's room open, revealing Gibbs. The two jumped apart quickly, while Gibbs eyed them strangely. "Is there something going on I should know about?"

"Nothing at all," Tony answered, a little bit too quickly.

Gibbs smirked. "I'm going to head back with the rest of the team. David, you're on watch for tonight. Take care, DiNozzo." As he headed towards the door, he turned around once more. "Remember what we talked about, Ziver." With that, he left.

Tony shot Ziva a confused look. "What did you and Gibbs talk about?"

"He basically gave us permission to break rule twelve," she beamed.

"Really?" Ziva nodded, and he lit up like a child on his birthday. He pulled Ziva to him and kissed her lightly.

"Did Abby and McGee tell you their big news?" she asked after some time.

Tony shook his head. "They are dating."

His eyes popped out of his head. "McGee got the girl?! Atta boy!"

Later that night, around 2100, Ziva was still with Tony when Dr. Curtis came by for his evening rounds. She hadn't left his side all day except when Abby had come by again to visit around 1800 so Ziva could eat and shower quickly at home. The nurses had tried to enforce visiting hours, but Ziva had flashed her badge, and the gun next to her badge, and they let her be.

"How are you feeling, Private DiNozzo?"

"I'm just peachy, Dr. Curtis."

Dr. Curtis went on, explaining that Tony's follow up brain scans showed no signs of permanent damage, and that his ribs and shoulder would be healed with time. "So, when can he go home?" Ziva asked.

"If his condition stays the same, I would say this Friday." It was currently Wednesday, meaning that Tony only had to stay in the hospital for two more nights. "I will see you tomorrow morning, Private."

When Dr. Curtis left, Tony exhaled. "Thank God. I cannot wait to get out of this place. Do you know how long I've been in a hospital, this one and the one in Bagram? And how long it's been since I've been home, actually in D.C., and not stuck in a hospital bed. Aw jeez, I just realized I don't have a place to live. My apartment's gone 'cause I didn't renew the lease and…"

He was cut off by Ziva's finger placed in front of his lips. "Shh. Do not think about that now. You can stay with me while you look for a new apartment, if you would like."

"I'd love to." He noticed Ziva yawning. "Come here, lie on the bed with me."

"Are you sure? I will not hurt you?"

"As long as you don't lie on my left side." He moved over so there was more room on his right side, and Ziva slipped into the bed next to him. Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while she placed her head on his chest. "I love you," he said into her hair.

"I love you too. _Lailah tov_." Soon, they both fell asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace.

**Tiva goodness (: Sorry for any errors in this chapter. **

**Thanks for reading and please review (:**


	13. Chapter 13

**Wow, I'm a really sucky updater, aren't I? Junior year is killing me. Besides that, isn't this season of NCIS freaking AWESOME so far?! **

**Here is today's chapter. Enjoy (:**

**In memory of AMR. R.I.P.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

The next morning, Ziva awoke with a crick in her neck when she felt someone looking at her. She hadn't slept much the previous night. Halfway through the night, Ziva had to move to the fold out chair in the hospital room because of Tony's nightmares. He would flail his arms and mumble something about Greg or the innocent civilians that had died. Apparently, Tony had the same sensation of someone watching him, and they both looked up to see Dr. Curtis, looking at them oddly. "Good morning Private DiNozzo, Miss David."

"Good morning," they both replied sleepily, while Ziva yawned quietly.

Dr. Curtis laughed at the couple before him. "Now, how are you feeling this morning, Private DiNozzo? Any aches or pains anywhere?"

Tony rolled his neck. "My neck is a little sore, but that's just from how I slept." He sent a knowing look at Ziva, who looked away quickly. "Apart from the normal stuff, like my ribs and shoulder, I feel great."

"Good. What about your head?"

"Honestly, it feels fine. It hasn't even hurt that much since a few days ago."

Dr. Curtis seemed pleased with Tony's response. "And you aren't showing any sign of brain damage, on the scans or from talking to you, so I think you should be able to get out of here by tomorrow. If you don't have any questions, I'll be on my way."

He walked out of the door, and Ziva rose to her feet quickly. "I am going to get some coffee," she lied as she sped out the door.

As soon as the door closed behind her, she called down the hallway. "Dr. Curtis?"

Dr. Curtis turned around, and Ziva walked towards him. "Miss David, how can I help you? Is this about Private DiNozzo?"

She wringed her hands, unsure of exactly what to say. "Yes, it is. You said to come forward if I saw and signs of post traumatic stress, yes?"

He immediately became concerned for the private. "Yes, I did. Did you notice anything different about Private DiNozzo?"

"Yes. Yesterday, he kept saying that it should have been him that died, not Private Bailey, and he just was not himself. He was not as joyful as he normally is. Also, last night, he was having bad night terrors." She struggled with her next words, not wanting to sound like the overprotective girlfriend, but wanting what was best for Tony. "I understand he just came back from a war, but I am just worried about him."

Dr. Curtis nodded his head. "Of course, I completely understand. This sounds like he could have PTSD, which isn't uncommon for returning soldiers, especially after what he went through. I can have a psychologist come and talk to him sometime today, if you think that will help."

"I think that would be good for him." Ziva knew that Tony wouldn't want to talk to anyone about what happened, but in her heart she knew it was best for him.

He pulled a card from the pocket of his lab coat. "I am going to call her as soon as I can, and she should be over here by this afternoon to talk to Private DiNozzo." Ziva noted the name on the card, Dr. Sheila Landry. "Thank you for pointing out your observations to me. Catching PTSD early is the best way."

"Thank you for taking the time." They shook hands and went their separate ways.

When Ziva got back to Tony's room, he was looking at her strangely. "I thought you were going to get coffee?"

She looked down, and then remembered that she came back empty handed. "The coffee was not good, so I threw it out. I will get some better coffee later." She leaned forward and kissed him quickly so that he couldn't tell if she was lying or not. Even though she had been taught by Mossad how to lie, Tony always had a way of reading her.

When they broke apart, Tony smiled. "I'm going home tomorrow," he beamed.

"Yes, I know my little furry bear." Ziva sat down in the same chair she had sat in the day previous, holding his hand tightly.

"Are you still sure you want me to move in with you? I mean, I'll just stay there until I find a new apartment if that's what you want."

She sighed. "Yes, you can move in with me. If it is just until you find a new apartment, then so be it. But if you want to stay permanently, I have no problem with it. It is moving a bit fast, but I think I can manage. It will be like a slumber over, yes?"

"Sleep over or slumber party," Tony corrected automatically. "Oh man, I forgot how much I missed doing that. You better not have reverted too much, 'cause I don't think I'll be able to handle it,"

Later that same day, Tony heard a nock on his hospital door. "Come in," he answered, thinking it was Ziva returning. She had gone to her apartment to shower and change her clothes. So he was surprised when it wasn't her who walked through the doors. Instead, an older, petit woman with salt and pepper hair came in.

"Hello, Private DiNozzo," she said as she started looking at his chart. He assumed she was another doctor.

"Um, hi. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Dr. Sheila Landry." She offered him a hand and sat down in a chair near his bed, still looking through his chart.

"So, you're another doctor? For what?"

"I am a psychologist," Sheila replied bluntly.

"Psychologist?" Tony hadn't heard anything about needing therapy, and he didn't want it. "Why do I need a shrink?"

Sheila sighed, knowing that Tony would be difficult. "I work closely with soldiers returning from war zones who suffer from PTSD."

"PTSD?" he spat, sounding insulted. "I do not have PTSD, Dr. Landry."

"That is what I am trying to determine, Private DiNozzo," Dr. Landry replied, not backing down. "Tell me, what did you do while you were in Afghanistan?"

He sighed, knowing he couldn't get out of this. "I would patrol the streets, most of the time with Privates Weatherton and Bailey."

"What were some of the things you experienced?"

Tony thought of all the horrible things that had happened. "Well, there were a few suicide bombs. Too many innocent civilians died. A lot of times, they were only kids, just walking home from school or playing outside."

"You were close, Privates Weatherton, Bailey, and yourself, correct?"

"Yeah, we got along pretty good. They were both really good guys, always trying to lighten the mood, even when times were tough. They both live around D.C. Well, Greg doesn't anymore."

Dr. Landry wrote down a few quick notes on her paper. "Greg, is that is Private Bailey?" When Tony nodded, she furthered her questioning. "Tell me, what exactly happened the day you were injured."

"Greg, Trevor, that's Private Weatherton, and I were driving into the city. We were talking, mostly about how Trevor's fiancé just found out she was pregnant. They next thing we knew, our humvee exploded, throwing me from it. I guess I was the lucky one. I looked back to it, and saw it burning, with Trevor and Bailey still inside. Trevor was still conscious and was easier to get to, so I got him out first. I went to go get Greg, but…" he paused, fighting back tears. "He lost consciousness, but he still had a pulse. I tried getting him out, but there was no way I could. Maybe…Maybe if I had acted quicker, he would still be alive."

"Mhm." Again Dr. Landry jotted down a few notes. "But saving Private Bailey's life would have been at the cost of your own."

"So what? Maybe that's how it was meant to be."

"What would your friends and family have thought? You would be leaving all of them behind."

"Ziva, everybody else, they could survive without me."

"But they would not like it." It was a statement, not a question. "How would Ziva react, exactly? You two must be extremely close if you named her first out of everyone."

For the first time, Tony thought about what Ziva thought about what he was saying. How would it affect her if he had died? "I…I never thought about it that way."

Dr. Landry seemed pleased with Tony's honesty. "That's good for now, Private DiNozzo. You've been through a lot these past few weeks. I'd like to meet with you again in a few days, after you have settled down at home again."

With the next appointment set, Dr. Landry got up to leave. "Dr. Landry, thank you."

"You're welcome Private. I will see you in a few days." She waved to him and left. Not a minute after she walked out of the doors, Ziva walked in. She sat down in the chair she had been sitting in religiously since Tony had been in the hospital. "How long were you waiting outside the door?"

"Long enough," she answered bluntly.

"I know it was you who said something. Don't try to lie about it."

Ziva shrugged. "It was for the best, yes?"

"I guess," Tony gave in, sighing. "I just don't like talking to therapists who have no idea what I'm going through."

She took his hand in hers, stroking his knuckles. "But it will help."

**Okay, so this chapter is really short, but I felt it was a good place to end. Tony may seem OOC, but keep in mind that he's returning from a war zone and suffering from PTSD. **

**I don't have to work this week, so hopefully I should be able to update a little bit quicker than normal. Thanks for reading, and please review (: **


End file.
